Polio virus found in sewage samples of 18 districts

ISLAMABAD: The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at Pakistan’s National Institute of Health has confirmed detection of polio virus in sewerage lines in 18 districts of all four provinces of Pakistan, ARY News reported.

The National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio has confirmed presence of Wild Poliovirus Type 1 in environment samples.

According to sources, the Regional Reference Laboratory has confirmed the presence of the polio virus in samples collected from 18 districts in four provinces of the country.

The samples were collected from sewage lines between February 21 to March 06, and the results revealed the presence of Wild Poliovirus Type 1 in several districts.

In Sindh, 12 districts, Punjab two districts, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa two districts, Islamabad and one district of Baluchistan were found to have polio-positive sewage.

Polio-positive sewage found in Islamabad, Chaman in Baluchistan, South Waziristan, Lower and Upper Dir in KP, Lahore and Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab and Sindh’s Badin, Dadu, Hyderabad, Jacobabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sujawal, Qambar, Sukkur, Karachi East, West, Central and Kemari districts.

While environment samples of four districts found to be free from polio virus.

Pakistan has already reported six polio cases this year, with four infections reported from Sindh and one each from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab.

There were 74 polio cases recorded in 2024, the previous year. Of them, one each came from Punjab and Islamabad, while 27 came from Baluchistan, 22 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 23 from Sindh.

Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this crippling disease.