Polio virus detected in environmental samples of Karachi, Quetta

KARACHI: Polio virus has been detected in environmental samples of Karachi and Quetta, ARY News reported citing National Institute of Health (NIH) sources.

According to the details, the same cross-border virus was found in two polio-positive cases earlier this year in Chaman and Dera Bugti. The polio has so far been found in sewerage and environmental samples of 31 districts of the country.

The Ministry of Health will kick off an anti-polio campaign later this month in which over 20 million children aged under five will be immunised.

Twelve environmental samples from eight major cities have tested positive for poliovirus

According to sources, the virus of crippling disease was found in 12 sewerage samples of eight cities of Pakistan including, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Kohat and Mastung.

The samples were taken from March 14 to 19 and tested positive for the wild polio virus, sources added.

Earlier on March 15, Pakistan has reported the second polio case of 2024,.

The second case of crippling disease of polio was reported in Chaman’s Mir Ali Zai area where a four-year-old boy was confirmed with the disease.

The first polio case of 2024 in Pakistan was reported in Dera Bugti when a two-and-a-half-year-old child from Dera Bugti was confirmed with the poliovirus.