Pakistan Records First Polio Case In 2024

On Thursday, Pakistan reported its first case of poliovirus in 2024. The affected individual is a two-and-a-half-year-old Pakistani boy residing in the Dera Bugti district of Balochistan.

This incident marks the emergence of a polio case in Balochistan’s Dera Bugti district after a hiatus of nearly 13 years. The child began experiencing symptoms, including high fever and weakness, on February 28. Subsequent medical examinations confirmed that he had contracted poliovirus infection.

Read more: Polio Claims Another Life In Pakistan

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the presence of wild poliovirus type 1 in the boy, indicating the severity of the infection.

In 2023, a total of six cases of WPV1 (wild poliovirus type 1) were reported in Pakistan. Additionally, three environmental samples tested positive for WPV1—one each in the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.