Poliovirus 'detected' in environmental sample collected from Lasbela

Poliovirus has been detected in yet another environmental sample in Pakistan, taking the tally for the current year to 173 in 44 districts, ARY News reported on Friday, citing sources.

The sample collected from the sewage of Jamala Muhallah of Lasbela on May 21, tested positive for Type-1 Wild Poliovirus. Three sewage samples have tested positive for poliovirus in Lasbela in the current year.

Pakistan has reported 173 positive environmental samples for poliovirus in 2024, the sources said.

Yesterday, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health confirmed the detection of Type-1 Wild Poliovirus in Dukki and Killa Saifullah, said a lab official on condition of anonymity.

Last week, Pakistan ‘reported’ the fourth poliovirus case of the current year.

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A 2-year-old boy from Bharkan union council in Sindh’s Shikarpur district became the latest victim.

The health department official said the virus was detected in stool samples collected from a child, adding that he had developed symptoms of paralysis on May 21.

This is the fourth polio case in 2024 as Pakistan had earlier reported three cases. All of the previous three cases reported this year were from Balochistan.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where the poliovirus, which causes paralysis and can be a life-threatening disease, is endemic.