Balochistan health department has reported two more cases of polio virus in the province on Saturday. With two fresh cases, the tally of polio virus infections this year has scored to 23 cases.
Polio is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the polio virus. The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis (can’t move parts of the body).
There was a case of the crippling disease in Chiltan Town of Quetta, the provincial health department said in a statement. A four-year child was confirmed of having the virus in the city. There was also a confirmation of a 15-month child in tehsil Barshor in Pishin district of having the deadly virus. It was the second case in the province.
The samples of two children sent to the lab for tests in past weeks, according to health officials. The number of polio cases has reached 23 in Balochistan with two new cases, the health department said.
The WHO estimates that 65–75% of polio cases in developing countries occur in children under 3 years of age, with 95% of all cases occurring in children under 5 years of age. Pakistan is one of the two remaining countries in the world where polio is still existent as a viral infection, the other one being Afghanistan of course. Unfortunately, there are not enough precautionary measures for the virus in Pakistan. That is why the virus is still spreading and indeed the spread can be lethal if not stopped on time.