New polio case detected in Pakistan

KABUL (Pajhwok): A fresh case of polio has been detected in Karachi, Pakistan, bringing the total number of children affected by the disease to 70.

The regional reference laboratory for polio eradication at the National Institute of Health confirmed the detection of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in a male child from Karachi’s East district, according to Dawn.

The case has been included in last year’s tally, as the sample was collected in 2024, a laboratory official said. Karachi’s East district has now reported two polio cases in 2024.

Pakistan is grappling with a significant resurgence of WPV1, with 70 cases reported in 2024.

Of these, 27 are from Balochistan, 21 from Khy­b­er Pakhtunkhwa, 20 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

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