ISLAMABAD: A 23-month-old girl in Balochistan’s Kharan district was diagnosed with poliovirus a day after her death, taking the tally of this year’s cases to 15, a health official has confirmed.
Balochistan remains an epicentre of the disease, with 12 cases reported from eight districts — Dera Bugti, Chaman, Qila Abdullah, Quetta, Jhal Magsi, Zhob, Qila Saifullah and now Kharan.
The victim, a resident of Union Council South City-A in Kharan tehsil, died on August 19 at a hospital in Quetta, an official of the National Institute of Health (NIH) said.
He added that as per the parents, the child developed a high-grade fever, along with paralysis of both lower limbs and neck muscles, on July 31.
The family treated the child at home for five days and then took her to a local informal healthcare provider on Aug 4.
Three days later, on Aug 7, the child was taken to a private hospital where she was notified as a suspected case of poliovirus.
The case was investigated on the same day, and a sample was sent to the NIH. The patient had no history of intramuscular injection — usually a shot in the arm — in the last 24 hours prior to the onset of paralysis.
No travel history of the child has been reported prior to the onset of the virus. The child passed away on August 19, 2024, he said.
Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2024
