ISLAMABAD: The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has reported two additional poliovirus cases in Pakistan, bringing the total number of cases this year to 52, ARY News reported on Friday, citing sources.
According to sources, the National Reference Lab confirmed the cases, which were detected in Dera Ismail Khan’s Tehsil Darazinda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The new cases include a three-year-old boy and a one-and-a-half-year-old girl, both of whom tested positive for Wild Poliovirus Type 1.
Sources revealed that the genetic analysis of the virus is currently underway.
So far this year, five polio cases have been registered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 24 in Balochistan, 13 in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Islamabad.
Read more: Pakistan reports 50th polio case of 2024
Authorities continue to emphasize the importance of polio vaccination campaigns to curb the spread of the virus, particularly in high-risk areas.
The recent rise in polio cases in Pakistan has sparked concerns for international organizations, sources said.
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 virus likely to visit Pakistan later this month.
