Polio virus: Two new cases confirmed in K-P and FATA

PESHAWAR:

Two new Wild Polio Virus Type 1 cases surfaced in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) on Saturday, the National Institute of Health Islamabad has confirmed. The first victim was 12-month-old Salma, a resident of Nasab Colony, Peshawar. She had not received the vaccination even once.

The second victim, Hafsa, is aged 8 months and a resident of Boby Kallay, Bara Tehsil, Khyber Agency.

With these two cases, the number of polio cases in Pakistan has reached 104 in 2014. Of these, 76 cases were reported from FATA – with 57 cases from North Waziristan, seven from South Waziristan, 10 from Khyber Agency and two from FR Bannu. Of the 18 cases reported from K-P, seven surfaced in Peshawar, nine in Bannu, and one each in Mardan and Lakki Marwat.

There have been nine reported cases from Sindh and one from Balochistan this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 3^rd, 2014.