The United Nations is calling for pauses in fighting in the Gaza Strip so it can launch a polio vaccination campaign after the poliovirus was detected in the enclave.

Health authorities in Gaza announced on Friday that an unvaccinated 10-month-old child contracted the disease. It is said to be the first confirmed polio case in Gaza in 25 years.

Polio strikes young children and causes permanent paralysis in serious cases.

The UN had been warning since July that the disease could spread in Gaza. It announced on Friday it is ready to start a vaccination campaign in Gaza for more than 640,000 children as early as late August.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned at a news conference that if the virus is left unchecked, it would have "a disastrous effect not only for Palestinian children in Gaza, but also in neighboring countries and the region."

He also stressed that safety for children and health workers must be ensured for a vaccination campaign to be successful.

He said, "I am appealing to all parties to provide concrete assurances right away guaranteeing humanitarian pauses for the campaign."

The World Health Organization says it plans two rounds of vaccination, one at the end of August and the other in September. It is requesting seven days of humanitarian pauses for each round.