Quetta: A toddler from Quetta tested positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) on Saturday, marking the fifth polio case reported in Pakistan this year. The young boy, who experienced paralysis in one leg, tragically passed away in Karachi.
The National Institute of Health conducted analyses and confirmed the presence of WPV1 in the child and his sibling. Authorities have launched a detailed investigation to trace the origins of the virus.
Balochistan has emerged as the focal point for most of this year’s polio cases in Pakistan. In response, the local government has ramped up efforts to contain the virus and prevent further spread. An anti-polio campaign is currently in progress across 14 districts of Balochistan, including Quetta.
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Pakistan, along with Afghanistan, remains one of the only two countries worldwide where polio has yet to be eradicated.
Earlier this year, the fourth case of polio case was reported when a 2-year-old boy from the Bharkan union council in Sindh’s Shikarpur district tested positive for the virus. The child displayed symptoms of paralysis on May 21, with subsequent stool sample testing confirming the presence of the virus.
Last year, Pakistan reported six polio cases, predominantly from the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Karachi.
