Polio outbreak continues in Pakistan, cripples another child

• Wild poliovirus detected in boy from DI Khan.
• Polio virus cases tally rises to 10 in KP.
• Genetic sequencing of sample underway.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan encountered another setback in its battle against polio as a new case of paralysis was confirmed in a child from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's District Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan), The News reported on Sunday. 

This latest case raises the total number of Wild Poliovirus Type-1 (WPV1) cases in the country to 48 this year, and 10 in the north-western province. 

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad confirmed the infection on Saturday, noting the boy from DI Khan, an area still battling persistent polio transmission.

Genetic sequencing of samples collected from the child is currently underway to trace transmission patterns and support targeted vaccination drives.

This case follows another detection earlier this week, on Friday, in Sindh’s Ghotki district. The Ghotki infection marked the district’s first reported case this year, underscoring the virus’s spread to new regions.

Balochistan has recorded the highest number of cases with 23, followed by Sindh with 13, 10 from KP, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

Pakistan remains one of only two countries where wild poliovirus transmission has not yet been eradicated.

The ongoing spread is attributed to challenges such as insecurity, misinformation, and community resistance, which complicate vaccination campaigns.

With Pakistan being one of two polio endemic countries, health officials urge parents to actively participate in polio vaccination campaigns frequently conducted by the government. 

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus mainly affecting children under the age of five years, who are malnourished or have weak immunity due to being under-vaccinated or not vaccinated for polio and other childhood diseases.

The illness invades the nervous system and causes paralysis or even death.

While there is no cure for polio, officials stress that immunisation is the most effective defence against this virus.