ISLAMABAD: Another child has been paralysed by poliovirus in Sindh, taking the tally for the current year so far to 16.

Poliovirus traces have been reported in 62 districts so far this year, a significant increase from 28 districts last year.

According to an official of Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad, the Type-1 Wild Poliovirus (WPV1) has been confirmed in a 29-month-old female child from Hyderabad district.

“This is the first polio case from Hyderabad, the third from Sindh, and the 16th case in Pakistan this year. As many as 12 cases have been reported from Balochistan, three from Sindh, and one from Punjab,” he said.

In reply to a question, the official said the genetic cluster was YB3A4B and the case was 99.22 per cent linked to a virus detected in an environmental sample from the same district (Hyderabad) on May 8 this year.

Meanwhile, sewage samples from three new districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh and eight previously positive districts have tested positive for WPV1.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication has confirmed that environmental samples from Karak, Sujawal, Shaheed Benazirabad, Hyderabad, Zhob, Quetta, Loralai, Chaman, Pishin, Rawalpindi and Islamabad districts contained WPV1.

“Poliovirus has now been detected in 62 districts of the country and affected 16 children so far this year, indicating the persistent risk of polio infection to children in these communities and across the country,” the official said.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2024