PESHAWAR, July 11: The NWFP Health Department found three more cases of polio in May bringing the total number of affected children in the province to four this year, said a WHO official.

A two-year-old Adnan Khan was diagnosed positive for polio on May 18, which was followed by a female child, Asma, 3, in Dir district on May 22. Four days later, on May 26 another female child two-year-old Haseena was diagnosed with polio virus in Bannu district.

Official said the virus found in a child in Bannu district had its origin in the Helmond province in Afghanistan. The area where the child lived is located close to Orewala refugees camp in Bannu.

Similarly, the genetic mapping had shown that the case diagnosed in Dir district had connection with the Kunar province in Afghanistan.

All these children were administered anti-polio drops, official said, adding that the first polio case of the year in the province had been found in March this year.

Official at the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) of the WHO for NWFP and Fata said here that a 14-month-old boy, Raees Khan, was diagnosed a polio patient despite having received polio vaccines.

He said the child of Sulman Khel tribe belonged to the Lachra union council in Dera Ismail Khan district.

His father had migrated to Pakistan from Gardez about 30 years ago.

Official said the affected child had received 11 doses of oral polio vaccine.