KARACHI – Health officials reported another case of poliovirus in Gadap Town, Karachi, bringing the total cases for the year in Pakistan to six, according to The News on Sunday.
The affected child, a 31-month-old boy, tested positive for Wild Poliovirus 1 in the notorious UC-4 Gujro area of Gadap Town in District East Karachi. This marks the fifth polio case in Pakistan for 2023 and the second case in Karachi, as stated by an official from the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) Sindh.
The official revealed that the same area in Gadap Town had reported the fourth polio case just last month. Additionally, the latest affected child is an Afghan national. The child had received routine immunization, including three doses of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), two shots of intravenous polio vaccine (IPV), and more than seven OPV doses, according to the initial investigation.
While genetic sequencing of the isolated virus is underway, the child’s travel history remains unknown. An intensive investigation has been initiated to determine the factors contributing to the resurgence of the poliovirus in Karachi.
It’s noteworthy that UC-4 Gujro, Gadap Town, has been a hotspot for polio cases, often involving Afghan nationals who frequently travel to Afghanistan from this area. The region is also known for its resistance to polio vaccination during anti-polio campaigns.
Earlier reports on Thursday revealed the detection of Type-1 Wild Poliovirus (WPV1) in nine environmental samples collected in October. Karachi accounted for four samples, Chaman for two, and one each from Peshawar, Kohat, and Nowshera. With this new case, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan for 2023 has reached five, and the positive environmental (sewage) samples for the year stand at 64.
