Pakistan reports three new polio cases, tally rises to 59 in 2024

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported three more polio cases, bringing the total number of cases to 59 in 2024, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

According to the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) for Polio Eradication, the newly reported cases emerged from Dera Ismail Khan, Kemari, and Kashmore.

The NEOC confirmed that all affected children tested positive for Wild Polio Virus Type 1.

Balochistan leads with 26 polio cases, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 16, Sindh with 15, Punjab with one, and Islamabad with one.

Health authorities continue their efforts to combat the spread of the virus through vaccination campaigns and public awareness initiatives.

It’s worth mentioning here that the recent rise in polio cases in Pakistan has sparked concerns for international organizations.

According to sources, the international organization has called on Pakistan to implement emergency measures.

Sources revealed that Pakistan has assured the international organizations of taking swift action to control polio.

Furthermore, these organizations who work to combat the polio virus likely to visit Pakistan later this month.

Symptoms and risk

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours.

The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (for example, contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness of the neck and pain in the limbs.

One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralysed, 5–10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.

The disease mainly affects children under 5 years of age. However, anyone of any age who is unvaccinated can contract the disease.

There is no cure for the crippling disease, it can only be prevented. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, can protect a child for life.

There are two vaccines available: oral polio vaccine and inactivated polio vaccine. Both are effective and safe, and both are used in different combinations worldwide, depending on local epidemiological and programmatic circumstances, to ensure the best possible protection to populations can be provided.