Summary Polio virus was detected in 34-month-old Ijaz Khan.
KARACHI (Web Desk) – Health department has confirmed the first case of polio for the year 2016 in Karachi, Dunya News reported.
Polio virus was detected in 34-month-old Ijaz Khan, son of Sher Ali Khan, in UC-7 of Gadap Town area. The health officials reported that the child had received two doses during routine immunisation and seven during different polio campaigns.
"Malnutrition was the major reason of the disease because immunity level of the child was very low," the official said.
The highly infectious disease affects mainly the under-fives and can cause paralysis in a matter of hours. Some cases can be fatal.
A total of 54 cases of polio were reported in Pakistan in 2015.
Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world that remain on the World Health Organization s list of polio-endemic countries.
Polio cases in Pakistan reached a low of 28 in 2005 but rose to 198 in 2011, while 93 were recorded in 2013.
Teams in Pakistan working to immunise children against the virus are often targeted by the Tehreek-e-Taliban and other groups, who say the campaign is a cover for Western spies, or accuse workers of distributing drugs designed to sterilise children.
