A third case of polio has surfaced in Pakistan this year, with health officials confirming its occurrence in the Bannu district, marking the district's third polio case in 2023.
Pakistan's National Polio Laboratory, located at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad, has verified the presence of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) within the stool sample of an 18-month-old girl from the Ghora Bakakhel Union Council (UC) in Bannu district, located in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
On September 13, 2023, the young girl experienced paralysis, prompting the collection of samples that led to the confirmation of this polio case. It is important to note that this marks the third polio case reported in Bannu district this year.
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All three polio cases within the Bannu district have emanated from the Ghora Bakakhel Union Council in the Bakakhel Tehsil. Genetic analysis has linked this most recent case to the second polio case reported in 2023, involving a 4-year-old girl and documented in August.
It is worth mentioning that a nationwide special polio campaign commenced on October 2, aimed at eradicating the poliovirus and curbing infectious diseases, including polio.
