Pakistan has a brand new polio case this week, in keeping with the weekly report from the International Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), whereas healthcare staff in Gaza have accomplished the primary week of an enormous vaccination marketing campaign within the war-torn area.
In Pakistan, one wild poliovirus kind 1 (WPV1) case was recorded in Islamabad, and 15 WPV1-positive environmental samples had been reported in Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab, Islamabad, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The GPEI additionally famous a brand new case of vaccine-derived poliovirus kind 2 within the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Maindombe, the tenth such case reported this yr.
In Gaza, vaccines have been administered for 10 days following the primary part of the virus in 25 years within the area earlier this summer season.
New report reveals Pakistan not interrupting transmission
In a brand new examine in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, authors revealed an outline of latest polio exercise in Pakistan. From January 2023 to June 2024, officers recorded 14 WPV1 circumstances, in contrast with 21 WPV1 circumstances throughout January 2022 to June 2023.
Although circumstances are fewer, detections up to now 18 months counsel widespread transmission, as a result of they’ve appeared in historic polio reservoirs in Balochistan and Sindh provinces.
“Regardless of the prevalence of solely a single confirmed WPV1 case throughout the first half of 2023, Pakistan skilled widespread circulation of WPV1 over the following 12 months, particularly within the historic reservoirs of the cities of Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta,” the authors wrote.
Regardless of the prevalence of solely a single confirmed WPV1 case throughout the first half of 2023, Pakistan skilled widespread circulation of WPV1 over the following 12 months,
They added, “These circumstances, together with greater than 300 WPV1-positive environmental surveillance (sewage) samples reported throughout 2023–2024, point out that Pakistan just isn’t on monitor to interrupt WPV1 transmission.”
