Presence of active polio virus in Pakistan's 12 cities confirmed

ISLAMABAD: Polio eradication programme on Thursday confirmed presence of active polio virus in sewage of 12 big cities of the country.

As per details, P-1 polio virus was found from the sewage of the 12 big cities including, Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Banu, Mardan, Waziristan, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Shahdadkot.

Sources privy to the development said keeping the alarming situation in view, the authorities have decided to extend age from 5 to 10 years for the administration of the anti-polio drops.

It may be noted that the polio virus’s presence in sewage water was confirmed in Karachi, Sukkur, Peshawar, Mardan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Sukkur and other cities earlier.

Terming polio vaccination a national duty, Babar bin Atta had urged the parents to get their children administered anti-polio vaccine to protect them from the crippling disease.

Read more: Two more polio cases reported from Hangu, Lahore

Earlier, two new polio cases were reported in the country.

According to prime minister’s focal person for polio eradication, Babar Bin Atta, the first case was reported in a four-month-old girl in Hangu, while another case was detected in an eight-month-old boy in Lahore’s Shalimar Town area.

He had said a total of four cases of polio had been reported in the ongoing year.