ISLAMABAD: The National Institute of Health’s regional reference laboratory announced on Thursday that the first incidence of polio in 2024 has been detected from Balochistan’s Dera Bugti area.
According to the report, a 30-month-old child in the Dera Bugti district of Balochistan was paralyzed by wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), which was discovered in his stool samples.
The isolated virus is a member of the imported YB3A cluster, and the infant had paralysis in both lower limbs.
“This virus has paralyzed another Pakistani, reminding us once again that until we eradicate this virus, our children and children across the world will remain at persistent risk from poliomyelitis,” federal health secretary Iftikhar Ali Shallwani said, expressing his regret.
The health secretary stated: “Parents must recognize this fact and ensure that all of their children receive vaccinations whenever possible. Poliovirus targets children whose immunity is insufficient to ward off polio infection.”
The National Emergency Operations Center for Polio Eradication’s coordinator, Dr. Shahzad Baig, announced that two positive environmental samples from Dera Bugti have already been reported, and that a thorough case investigation will be started right away to determine the source of the virus that caused the infection.
“More than 45.4 million children under the age of five have already received vaccinations during our two nationwide polio vaccination campaigns in 2024. In response to this discovery, the Programme has scheduled a case response beginning on March 26 in affected districts to stop the virus from harming more children,” he stated.
This was the nation’s first incidence of polio in 2024 and the first in Dera Bugti in over 13 years. Six cases of polio were reported in the nation last year.
