Poliovirus detected in environmental samples

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Health has confirmed the presence of poliovirus in environmental samples from Badin district of Sindh, ARY News reported.

Samples analysed at the anti-polio laboratory established in the National Institute of Health (NIH) revealed the presence of the virus.

Earlier this week, polio virus was found in nine sewerage samples of five cities of Pakistan including, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Chaman and Mastung.

The samples were taken from February 21 to 27 and tested positive for the wild polio virus.

Sources quoting the NIH report said that the polio virus was found in the sewerage of Karachi South and Korangi.

In Peshawar, the virus was detected in the sewerage of Peshawar’s Shaheen Muslim Town, while in Quetta, the virus was found in the sewerage of Sir Pul, Taosabad.

It is to be noted that Pakistan has reported two polio virus cases this year so far.