By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

In Pakistan, an additional six wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases were reported this week–three with onset in 2019 and three for 2020–bringing the WPV1 count to four for 2020.

Image/CDC

The six cases were reported from Sindh province (4) and one each from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

139 WPV1 cases were reported in Pakistan in 2019.

Guinea worm disease: 53 cases reported in 2019, Vast majority in Chad

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced recently that Kenya, Mozambique and Niger have curbed polio outbreaks that erupted in different episodes over the past 24 months.

Transmission of vaccine-derived poliovirus was detected in the three countries in 2018, affecting 12 children. No other cases have since been detected.

“Ending outbreaks in the three countries is proof that the implementation of response activities and ensuring that three rounds of high-quality immunization campaigns are conducted can stop the remaining outbreaks in the region,” said Dr Modjirom Ndoutabe, Coordinator of the WHO-led polio outbreaks Rapid Response Team for the African Region.