No polio virus found in 23 biggest cities of Pakistan: sources

ISLAMABAD: The efforts of anti-polio workers are paying the yields as the crippling virus was not found in sewerage of the major cities of Pakistan, citing sources, ARY News reported on Thursday.

It has been learnt by ARY News that the drains of the major cities of all four provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan have been declared polio-free.

Samples from the sewerage were taken from the 32 spots of the 23 biggest cities of the country between September 13 to 21, said sources.

The samples were taken from drains of Landhi, Bakhtawar Village, Korangi drain in Karachi, Multan, DG Khan, Rajanpur, Bahawalpur, Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Raheem Yar Khan, Quetta, Loralai, Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera, Banu, Bajaur, Kurram, Diamir, GB, said sources.

The samples remained negative, no virus was found in the drains. The situation in terms of polio cases in the country is improving and due to the untiring efforts of the health workers.

After the first wave of polio cases in the current year, a new strategy was devised to face the challenge. The immunization programme was given special focus with the help of security forces.

The sources further relayed that only a single case of polio has been reported from Balochistan’s Qila Abdullah area in this current ongoing year.