Pakistan reports 4 additional polio cases, Afghanistan see first cases of 2020

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews

Global health officials reported six additional wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in two countries last week, bringing the total for the year to 23.

In Pakistan, four WPV1 cases were reported: One each in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan provinces. This brings the number of 2020 cases to 21.

In neighboring Afghanistan, two cases of WPV1 case were reported: one each in Helmand and Zabul provinces making them the first cases in 2020.

In the third polio endemic country, Nigeria, the African Regional Certification Centre on Thursday disclosed that Nigeria would soon be declared polio-free by June 2020.

Mr Anad Dumba, the Team leader for the ARCC stated that the delegates are in the state to deliberate on polio Eradication in North-Central Nigeria, adding that the team is preparing towards the certification.

“We are here to ensure Kwara and Nigeria as a whole is truely polio free.

“We are to ensure the state data meets the standard,’’ he said.

In addition to the WPV1 cases reported last week, five countries reported circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) cases–Pakistan, Angola, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia.

Got Smallpox?



