Polio virus detected in 52 districts across Pakistan

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, has confirmed the detection of the virus in an environmental sample from nine districts, taking the total number of districts with virus presence to 52 so far this year.

In the first seven months, nine children have also been infected by the crippling disease.

An official of the polio programme said environmental samples collected from Dadu, Hyderabad, Karachi South, Karachi Cen­tral, Karachi West, Quetta, Loralai, Rawal­pindi and Islamabad contained WPV1.

The official confirmed that the virus has now been reported in 52 districts so far this year.

“It is essential for parents across the country to understand that this virus continues to pose a constant threat to the wellbeing of their children and make sure to open their doors to vaccinators to receive the polio vaccine,” he said.