Poliovirus detected in Karachi, Quetta samples

KARACHI: Concerns rise as the presence of the poliovirus has been confirmed in the environmental samples collected from Karachi and Quetta.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) reports that the same cross-border strain of the virus previously identified in polio-positive cases in Chaman and Dera Bugti earlier this year has been detected in these latest environmental samples.

The poliovirus has been detected in sewerage and environmental samples from 31 districts across the country.

To combat the spread of polio, the Ministry of Health is set to launch an extensive anti-polio campaign later this month, aiming to immunize over 20 million children under the age of five.

Twelve environmental samples collected from eight major cities, including Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Kohat, and Mastung, have tested positive for the poliovirus. These samples, taken between March 14 and 19, have raised alarms about the resurgence of this crippling disease in various regions of Pakistan.