Polio virus gets aggressive as this year's case count reaches 99

ISLAMABAD : The Polio virus spread in Pakistan is apparently gaining momentum as the current year's case count has already reached 99. As five new polio cases were registered towards the end of July, the total figure for detected polio cases has already gone up to 99.

According to a recent media report; late summer is typically considered as the ‘high transmission season for polio’, so the country is witnessing the poliovirus going berserk. Of the five new cases confirmed by the polio virology laboratory at the National Institute of Health, the first two cases are from North Waziristan Agency. The first is 24 month-old Jaul Haq, son of Noor Dad Khan from area and village Mada Khel, tehsil Miran Shah, North Waziristan, and the second is 18 month-old Maryam, daughter of Khaliq Nawaz from area Data Khel, village Mamirza Manzar Khel, tehsil Miran Shah, North Waziristan.

The third victim is an 18 mont-old zero dose case from South Waziristan named Fiaz, son of Abdul Ghafoor from area Dabkot, village Khwashi, tehsil Wana.

Maira, 24 month-old daughter of Naimat Ullah from area Suleman Khel, village Shagai, tehsil Lakki Marwat is also among the victims. Maira too had no dose of oral polio vaccine; she also falls in the category of refusal cases, as does Hamza, 21 month-old son of Zabi Ullah from UC 8, sector-3, Sultanabad Manghopir, Gadap town, Karachi.

Of the 99 cases so far in 2014, FATA leads with 73 cases (NWA: 57, SWA: 6, Khyber: 8, FR Bannu: 2), followed by KPK with 17 cases (Peshawar: 6, Bannu: 9, Mardan: 1, Laki Marwat: 1) and Sindh with 9 (Baldia: 1, Orangi: 1, Gadap: 4, Site: 1, Landhi: 1, Sanghar: 1).