The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday said a third case of polio has been reported in Nigeria after two others were discovered last month.
Nigeria was to be declared polio free this year, until two new cases of the deadly virus was discovered
“A third child has been paralysed by wild poliovirus type one in Borno state,” WHO said in a statement.
“It’s all linked to the same outbreak.
“Detection of new cases is not unexpected and can be anticipated, particularly as disease surveillance is being strengthened including by conducting retrospective case searches,” WHO said.
Spokesperson for Rotary International, Stephanie Mucznik, said the latest case is from a two-year-old boy suffering from the onset of paralysis.
“Genetic sequencing of the isolated viruses suggests they are most closely linked to WPV1 last detected in Borno in 2011, indicating the strain has been circulating without detection since that time,” Mucznik said.