KARACHI, May 8: The Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), Sindh, on Thursday confirmed two new cases of polio among children, bringing the total number in the province to seven.

EPI-Sindh sources said the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, confirmed the virus in the two cases referred to them in April.

The two polio-hit children were identified as three-year-old Shoaib of Naushahro Feroze and five-year-old Ashfaq of Jacobabad.

Samples of stools of the two children suspected to be inflicted with polio mellitus were referred to Islamabad on April 6 and April 9.

Investigations revealed that Shoaib had not received any oral polio vaccine (OPV) dose as part of the routine programme. However, he was administered 19 doses during national and sub-national immunisation campaigns.

Ashfaq was administered OPV once as a routine exercise and got 20 additional doses during special campaigns.

The other five cases reported earlier from the province are from Karachi (North Karachi), Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Shikarpur and Hyderabad.

The sources said cases from Shikarpur, Nawabshah and Hyderabad were found to have their genetic linkage with the case found in Karachi.

Farah, 11, of Karachi had contracted the virus from Thatta where she had gone along with her parents to attend an urs. The source of virus contracted by her was found to be another child belonging to Ghotki.

It may be mentioned that virus circulates in any surrounding through excreta of polio virus carrier and areas with no or poor sanitation system do turn hub for spread of the disease, particularly if children there are not administered with OPV.—APP