05 Aug 2024 | 12:56 PM UTC
Pakistan: Confirmed wild poliovirus type 1 cases reported in multiple areas, especially Balochistan, in early August /update 1
Confirmed wild poliovirus type 1 cases reported in multiple areas in Pakistan, especially Balochistan, in early August. Confirm vaccination.
Health officials have reported confirmed wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases across multiple areas in Pakistan, with an additional three cases reported July 20-Aug. 3, bringing the total to 12 confirmed cases reported since Jan. 1. This is compared to only one case reported over a similar period in 2023. Balochistan (9 cases) is the most affected, with cases reported in Killa Abdullah, Dera Bugti, Chaman, Quetta, Jhal Magsi, and Zhob, followed by Sindh’s Shikarpur and Karachi Keamari districts, and Punjab’s Chakwal district reporting one case each. Authorities are focusing on implementing polio vaccination campaigns and improving routine vaccination rates to boost children’s immunity. This report represents the most complete data available as of Aug. 5.
Visit a doctor to receive a precautionary polio booster before traveling to Pakistan, as even mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic people are infectious. Practice basic food and water precautions: drink only boiled, bottled, or purified water, and ensure that food is properly prepared and served hot.
Pakistan is one of the only two countries where polio is endemic, the other being Afghanistan. In addition to the WPV1 cases identified this year, WPV1 was detected in sewage samples from more than 40 districts. Health authorities reported 6 WPV1 cases in Pakistan in 2023, 20 cases in 2022, 1 case in 2021, and 84 cases in 2020.
Polio is highly infectious and is transmitted from person to person, spread through the fecal-oral route or by a common vehicle (e.g., contaminated water or food). Infected people shed the virus through feces, where it can spread quickly, especially in areas with poor hygiene and sanitation systems. Symptoms typically appear 7–10 days after infection but can develop during 4–35 days. Up to 90 percent of those infected experience no or mild symptoms, but in the remaining proportion of cases, the virus causes paralysis, usually of the legs, which is most often permanent. Among those cases, 5-10 percent die when the respiratory muscles become affected. The risk of paralysis increases with age. There is no specific treatment or cure for polio; immunization can only prevent it.
