LAHORE, Jan 15: The detection of first polio case of 2012, not in any far-flung area of the county but in Punjab's capital, has put a big question mark on the performance of provincial health authorities who are already facing allegations of taking inadequate precautionary measures against dengue virus that claimed more than 300 lives last year.

The emergence of the polio case in the second week of the 2012 becomes more embarrassing not only for the provincial health bosses but also for the country at a time when the neighboring Indian has started receiving appreciations from world over for having a period of 12 months without any polio case being reported there.

The United Nation health agency has already declared Pakistan a 'high risk' country with regard to international spread of polio virus, particularly during large-scale traveling to Saudi Arabia for Haj and Umrah.

In its recent manifestation, the crippling disease has par-alysed an 18-month-old, Muhammad Bashir, son of Banara Khan, a resident of Darbar Madolay Shah Colony, Shahdara, Lahore.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) has notified the fresh pollo case in its report issued a couple of days ago.

A senior health expert told Dawn, requesting anonymity, the emergence of new case in Pakistan was a matter of grave concern as the World Health Organization (WHO) executive board was meeting between 16-23 January to review a report on polio eradication. The meeting would also discuss a draft of anti-polio resolution to be considered for the 65th session of the World Health Assembly in May, 2012, he added.

He said in the wake of the surfacing of the fresh polio case here, the WHO executive board might intensify international restrictions on travel to and from Pakistan.

Quoting a WHO report, he said, of the total 627 polio cases reported all over the world in 2011, 321 were reporte d in polio-endemic countries while 306 in non-endemic ones. Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, the three leading pollo-endemic countries, had notified 192, 76 and 52 pollo cases, respectively, in 2011, while only one case was detected in India during the year, showing a visible difference, he said.

Of the total locally reportedcases, he said, 19 were notified officially in seven districts of Punjab -two cases in Vehari, while one each in Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, Okara, Muzafargarh and Lodhran.

The health official said wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was genetically linked to the virus currently circulating in Pakistan.

'Of the total cases reported in 2011 in our country, 190 were linked to WPV1 virus while two others were related to WPV3 poliovirus', he said.

The surfacing of the polio case in the heart of the province will be another blow, after dengue outbreak, to the Punjab health department being led by none other than Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Health Additional Secretary (Technical) Anwar Janjua confirmed the new polio case saying blood sample sent for laboratory analysis to the NIH detected the virus in the baby, a resident of Union Council 6 of Shahdra Town.

Dr Janjua further said a team of health experts had investigated the case during its frequent visit to the locality where it was detected.

According to initial investigations, he said, the area was swept by Rapid Response Teams, comprising anti-polio vaccinators, covering 4,623 children.