Poliovirus Detected in Nine More Environmental Samples

News Desk

Islamabad: Nine more environmental samples collected from four provinces of the country have tested positive for type-1 poliovirus, bringing the total number of positive tests this year to 83.

In addition, Badin has been included in the list of 30 districts where poliovirus has been detected in sewage water, according to a source at the National Institute of Health (NIH).

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at NIH Islamabad has confirmed the detection of poliovirus type 1 in a sample from Badin district.

The affected districts include Chaman, Karachi Malir, Karachi South, Karachi East, and Peshawar.

As many as eight poliovirus samples from Lahore have tested positive. A health ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, disclosed that two cases of polio have been reported this year.

The official expressed concern over the rapid increase in environmental samples just before the onset of the high transmission season of the poliovirus.

Rising temperatures will escalate the likelihood of new cases or infections among children with weakened immune systems or those who missed vaccines or whose parents intentionally avoided immunization, he said. The polio team has been prohibited from administering the drops.

He elaborated that if poliovirus is found in sewage water samples, it indicates the success or failure of the polio vaccination campaign in that area.

He also noted that due to lower temperatures, the poliovirus remains less active during the low transmission season from September to April, but becomes more active from May to August, increasing the risk of infection among children.

He emphasized that a reported case of polio in any city could be attributed to people moving from one city to another, but the presence of the virus in sewage water signifies that the vaccination campaign in the area has not achieved its target.

Additionally, the presence of the virus in sewage water suggests that local children are immunocompromised and are susceptible to contracting the disease.

The Pakistan Polio Program has already conducted two nationwide polio eradication campaigns this year, vaccinating over 4.3 lakh children under the age of five in each campaign, besides in Chaman and Sukkur.

An outbreak prevention campaign to enhance children’s immunity is underway in 26 districts, with another campaign scheduled for April and the upcoming months.