The number of polio cases in Pakistan has surged to 59 this year after three additional cases were confirmed, the National Institute of Health (NIH) reported on Monday.

The newly confirmed cases of Wild Polio Virus Type 1 (WPV1) have been recorded in DI Khan, Karachi Keamari, and Kashmore. The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the NIH verified these cases, linking them to a single genetic cluster of the WPV1 virus.

According to genetic sequencing results from the NIH, the samples collected from affected children are genetically connected to the same WPV1 strain, indicating a potential link in the spread of the virus.