Karachi: Four environmental samples from Peshawar and Karachi have tested positive for wild poliovirus 1 (WPV1) quoting Health Department official. According to Pakistan Polio Laboratory at National Institute of Health, samples were collected from neighbourhood of Shaheen Muslim Town and Naray Khuwar, Peshawar and Keamari, Karachi in month of August.

“As many as three samples were collected from Peshawar and one sample was collected from Keamari area,” an official said, requesting not to be named. It merits mention here that as manty as 21 positive environmental samples have been reported across country this year including 10 from Peshawar and two from Karachi while two children were paralysed by wild polio.

On September 2, polio virus was found for second time in Rawalpindi district during sewage sampling carried out by World Health Organisation.

According to an official of District Health Authority, polio virus was found in sample collected from nullah at Safdarabad near Pirwadhai. He said sewage sample from Safdardabad was collected on August 10 and virus was stated to be genetically linked to YB3A cluster, which is active in Nangarhar, Afghanistan.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 08 2023

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