Tally rises to 72 as two more polio cases surface – Pakistan

KARACHI / QUETTA: Two more cases of polio have been reported in the country, one in Sindh and the other in Balochistan, bringing the total number of cases this year to 72.

The emergency operations center for polio in Sindh confirmed on Saturday that a case of polio had been reported in the metropolis Orangi neighborhood.

They said a 17-month-old girl had become the fourth victim of polio in Karachi this year.

The remaining four victims in the province included two from Hyderabad and one from Jamshoro and Larkana districts. Sindh had registered only one case last year, authorities said.

"Across the country, 72 cases of polio have been reported this year, of which 53 are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eight from Sindh, six from Balochistan and five from Punjab," an official said.

The girl in the city's western Orangi neighborhood, an official said, "developed fever and a slight weakness in the right leg on which she was taken to doctors, where the case was classified as AFP (acute flaccid paralysis) after which was carried out a polio detection test … However, their senses of the right limb remain intact with 4/5 of power ”.

EOC officials confirmed that the child had only received the BCG vaccine during routine immunization and how many campaign doses of OPV were administered were being investigated.

They said they had planned "aggressive campaigns" from next month until June 2020, "with the aim of eradicating polio from the environment."

The EOC and medical agencies, such as the Pakistan Pediatric Association, strongly recommend that parents cooperate with polio teams.

Another case of poliomyelitis has been reported in the Jaffarabad district of Balochistan, bringing the total number of cases in the province to six.

Baluchistan Health Department officials said a 15-month-old boy from Jaffarabad had become paralyzed due to the virus.

According to the child's parents, the baby felt good until September 15, when he suffered a high fever.

and in the next 24 hours they noticed weakness in both legs that led to paralysis.

So far, six cases have been reported from Balochistan province, including three from Qila Abdullah, one from Quetta and one from Jaffarabad.

In total, 70 cases of polio have been detected throughout the country so far this year.

The provincial emergency polio center had initiated a special vaccination campaign in light of the recent increase in cases.

According to officials, special measures are being taken in more sensitive areas, such as Quetta, Pishin and Qila Abdullah.

Posted in Dawn, October 6, 2019