ISLAMABAD: The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed the detection of the 42nd Wild Poliovirus Type-1 (WPV1) case in Pakistan.
The lab confirmed detection of Type-1 Wild Poliovirus in a child from Nowshera District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
This is the first polio case from Nowshera and the 42nd case reported in Pakistan this year. So far, 21 cases have been reported from Balochistan, 12 from Sindh, seven from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the child is underway.
A nationwide polio vaccination campaign is currently underway in the country (28 October – 3 November) to vaccinate more than 45 million children under the age of five against paralytic polio.
It is critical for parents to open their doors to vaccinators during this drive and ensure that all children in their care receive two drops of the crucial oral polio vaccine to keep them protected from the devastating effects of polio.
Poliovirus is highly infectious. The incubation period is usually 7–10 days but can range from 4–35 days. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. It then invades the nervous system. Up to 90% of those infected experience no or mild symptoms and the disease usually goes unrecognized. –Agencies
