Polio virus detected in Karachi’s sewage line

Polio virus has been detected in Karachi’s sewage line!

As reported, for the first time on in over a year, polio virus was detected in sewage line of Karachi and this was also the first positive environmental sample from Sindh this year.

Pakistan’s National Polio Laboratory at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad confirmed Saturday that the Wild Poliovirus Type-1 (WPV1) was detected in an environmental sample collected from a sewage line in Karachi’s Landhi area in the month of August.

“This is the first positive environmental sample from Karachi in 2022. The previous positive sample from Karachi was reported in May 2021. The last wild poliovirus case from the district was reported in June 2020. The recent polio campaign in the district was conducted from August 15 till 21,” an official said.

Health official sharing the details about the smaples collected, informed that thirteen positive environmental samples in 2022 have been collected from KP, including seven from Bannu, three from Peshawar, two from Swat and one from Nowshera.

Seven positive samples have been collected from Punjab, including three from Lahore, two from Rawalpindi, and one each from Bahawalpur and Sialkot.

One positive sample each has been collected from Karachi and Islamabad.

Pakistan during the month of August, has reported as many as 11 positive cases of poliovirus.

Of the 11 cases detected, five each were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab while Sindh reported one case.

While the total number of polio cases reported so far in 2022  is 22.