Pakistan reports 6th polio case of this year

Islamabad, Dec 3 (IANS) Pakistan confirmed a new case of poliovirus in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, raising this year's tally of the disease-infected cases to six, the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination said.

The virus was found in a nine-month-old baby in Orakzai district of the province when he was brought to hospital, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying in a statement.

In addition to the new case, the virus was also detected in 20 environmental samples collected from 12 districts across the country, the statement said.

"The presence of poliovirus in environmental samples indicates that the virus is spreading in the community and poses a serious risk to children under the age of five," it added.

The Ministry directed parents to ensure the polio vaccine administration to their kids to save them from the risk of getting infected with the virus.

On November 27, a week-long polio vaccination campaign was launched across the country, during which polio eradication teams administered the vaccine to kids at their doorstep.

According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan is one of the only two polio-endemic countries in the world, along with its neighbour Afghanistan.