Pakistan Wednesday reported the seventh polio case of the year 2022 as a minor girl from North Waziristan was left paralysed by wild poliovirus, reported 24News HD TV channel.

It is the seventh polio case that has emerged in the country this year.

Health officials confirmed that an 18-month-old baby girl, a resident of Mir Ali, tested positive for the virus. The overall tally of this year’s poliovirus cases has risen to 7. It is learnt that the said child was not administered anti-polio drops during the drive against the crippling disease.

After staying in a polio-free country for almost 15 months, Pakistan has reported seven cases of poliovirus in 2022 so far. Almost all cases have been reported in North Waziristan.

On April 22, Pakistan reported its first poliovirus case in 15 months. Before that, the country had remained polio-free since Jan 27 last year. A five-day anti-polio campaign recently concluded across Pakistan. The poliovirus drive began on May 23. During the campaign, approximately 43.3 million children under the age of five years had been administered the anti-polio vaccine.

Health Minister Qadir Patel said the polio has resurfaced in North Waziristan area like 2014 and 2019. He said the cases were reported those years from the same area.

He said the government was working on war footings to end this disease.

Patel said KPK areas of south districts including North and South Waziristan, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Tank and Lakki Murawat have been declared sensitive for poliovirus.

Patels disclosed that in the months of May and April the poliovirus was found in the two environmental samples from Bannu.

He said the incumbent government is making sure to end the poliovirus on emergency basis.