Poliovirus found from environmental samples in two Punjab cities

LAHORE: In an alarming update, the poliovirus has been found in two cities of the Punjab province after environmental samples were collected from 20 areas in the province, ARY NEWS reported.

According to details, positive samples of the poliovirus have been found from Rawalpindi. Head of the Punjab Polio program Syeda Ramla confirmed the development and said that it has now been confirmed that the virus is present in the area.

“This could be dangerous for children living in the area,” she said, adding that the government would soon launch an anti-polio campaign in the area.

On Tuesday, health sources confirmed presence of poliovirus in sewage samples collected from seven major cities of Pakistan.

According to sources, poliovirus was detected in sewage samples, collected for testing from four Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cities, Peshawar, Bannu, Nowshera, and Swat. Poliovirus strain WPV-1 also detected in sewage samples of Rawalpindi, Lahore and the capital city of Islamabad, sources said.

These sewage samples were collected last month from drains, sources said. “Poliovirus has been detected in 11 Pakistani cities in the year 2022,” sources said.

Poliovirus was detected in sewage collected from Hanjal Noorbad in Bannu, Islamabad’s vegetable market, sources said. Poliovirus was last time detected in Islamabad in the year 2018.

“Moreover, poliovirus detected in sewage collected from Multan Road in Lahore, Shaheen Muslim Town Peshawar, Mill Colony Nowshera, Saidu Sharif in Swat and Safdarabad of Rawalpindi,” sources said.

The strain of wild polio virus found in seven cities has been genetically linked with Bannu, sources said.

Federal officials have reported 13 confirmed cases of polio in North Waziristan and one in Laki Marwat this year.