Pakistan reports 49th polio case in Balochistan

The latest case, detected in Jaffarabad, Balochistan, marks the district's first confirmed polio infection, underscoring the virus's ongoing spread across the country, health authorities announced on Thursday, as per Geo News.

Genetic sequencing of the virus sample, conducted by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad, has traced the virus to a WPV1 strain previously identified in Pishin, Balochistan, in April, Geo News reported.

This connection highlights active transmission within the province, which remains the hardest-hit area, with 24 cases reported to date. Last week, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (KP) Dera Ismail Khan district also reported an infection, Sindh's Ghotki district recorded its first case of the year.

So far, Balochistan has reported the highest number of cases at 24, followed by Sindh with 13, KP with 10, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad, Geo News reported.

Earlier on November 10, 48th case of Wild Poliovirus Type-1 (WPV1) was reported in a child from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's District Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan), Geo News reported.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad confirmed the infection on Saturday, noting the boy from DI Khan, an area still battling persistent polio transmission.

Pakistan's 47th polio case was reported in Sindh's Ghotki district, Geo News reported, quoting a statement by the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme.

Pakistan remains one of only two countries where wild poliovirus transmission has not yet been eradicated. The ongoing spread is attributed to challenges such as insecurity, misinformation, and community resistance, which complicate vaccination campaigns.

The illness invades the nervous system and causes paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, officials stress that immunisation is the most effective defence against this virus. (ANI)