Polio cases confirmed, total now 22

By TONY PALME
JIWAKA has confirmed three cases of polio, bringing the total number of cases detected and treated in the country to 22.
The provincial polio awareness and surveillance team revealed this yesterday at a review of round two routine immunisation and campaign.
Provincial surveillance officer and field epidemiologist Augustine Kumba said the three persons that tested positive were two boys and a girl under the age of five.
Kumba said the two boys were aged two while the girl was four.
They tested positive in the Banz 1 catchment area at Dumbola Health Centre in North Waghi.
“We reported the first case in July and the second two cases in September,” Kumba said.
“We sent the stool samples to the central public health laboratory in Port Moresby.
The samples were further sent to Australia for testing and the results returned to the department of health.
Kumba said one of the boy had been treated and was now living a normal life.
The other boy was using one side of his limbs while the other had gone totally numb.
The girl was walking on one leg while the other is supported by a walking stick.
The surveillance and routine immunisation and campaign team is now preparing to start round three from Nov 5-18.
Kumba urged the communities not to develop misconceptions about being passed on the virus from the infected person.
“Our surveillance team are doing everything they can to give polio immunisation to all children under the age of 15,” he said.
“Adults above 15 years have strong immune system and cannot develop acute floppy paralysis.
“We have reported some suspected cases and have sent the samples for laboratory analysis.