QUETTA: An 18-month-old boy in the Zhob district of Balochistan has been diagnosed with the polio virus, bringing the total number of reported polio cases in Pakistan to nine in 2024.
The child from the Hassan Zai Urban area showed symptoms on June 28, and genetic testing of the virus is still underway, according to PM’s Coordinator on Health Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed.
Dr. Ahmed confirmed that nine children have been affected by polio this year, with seven cases reported from Balochistan alone. He expressed concern over the resurgence of polio in the region, noting that the virus’s presence in over 50 districts poses a significant threat to children.
On June 28, Pakistan reported two polio cases from Sindh and Balochistan, bringing the total number of cases to eight for the year.
The National Institute of Health confirmed that a two-year-old child from Qila Abdullah in Balochistan and a three-year-old girl from Karachi Kemari showed symptoms of disability on May 22 and June 3, respectively. The virus found in these samples belongs to the YB3 cluster of polioviruses.
