Another polio case reported in Pakistan, bringing tally to 46

ISLAMABAD: Another polio case was reported in Balochistan’s Killa Saifullah District on Monday, bringing the number of total cases in Pakistan this year to 46.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of poliovirus in a month-old male child hailing from the Killa Saifullah, marking this year’s 23rd case in Balochistan.

Genetic sequencing of the sample collected from the child is underway, officials said, adding that this is the second polio case from Killa Saifullah, where several environmental samples have tested positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1).

So far, 23 cases have been reported from Balochistan province, the most affected province this year. While, Sindh has reported 12 cases, nine reported from KP, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad. The virus has been detected in environmental samples of 76 districts.

Pakistan is one of the only two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic.