Pakistan reports 3rd polio case of this year

Islamabad, Oct 5 (IANS) An 18-month-old baby girl has been infected with wild poliovirus in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province -- the third positive case of this year, the Health Ministry said.

The child was paralysed on September 13, the Ministry said in a statement, adding that the wild poliovirus type-1 was detected from stool specimen of the child living in Bannu district of the province, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to the Ministry, all the three cases of this year were reported in the Ghora Baka Khel area of Bannu district.

Genetically the newly reported case is linked to the second polio case detected in July, it added.

Data showed 27 positive environmental samples have been found from different parts of the South Asian country this year.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two polio endemic countries of the world.