MARDAN, Aug 7: A polio case has been detected in Mohib Banda area of Mardan after the district remained polio-free for last four years.

Executive district officer (health) Dr Ayub Roze on Tuesday confirmed the polio case when he along with Commissioner Mohammad Adil Khan and a team of heath officials visited house of the affected six-month-old child in Mohib Banda.

The officials said that the affected child, identified as Sulaima, was taken to a nearby health facility when she could not move one of her legs properly. They said that blood samples of the child were sent to Islamabad for test, which turned out to be positive for polio virus P-one.

They said that in fact it was a refusal case, as parents of the child had refused to allow polio drops administered to her. Besides, Mohib Banda was an area of Mardan that reported most of the refusal cases, the officials said.

On this occasion, the commissioner highlighted importance of polio vaccination and urged parents to fully cooperate with health officials in their fight against polio disease. He called for collective efforts to foil the negative propaganda against giving polio drops to children of up to five years of age.