ISLAMABAD: Poliovirus has been detected in sewage samples collected from Mirpurkhas, Thatta, and Naushahro Feroze districts in Sindh, according to ARY News.
Sources revealed that the samples, collected on December 23 and 24, tested positive for Wild Poliovirus Type 1. This finding adds to the ongoing challenge of polio eradication in Pakistan, where over 480 sewage samples tested positive for the virus in 2024.
Pakistan reported 73 polio cases nationwide in 2024, reflecting a significant resurgence of the disease. Earlier, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed the presence of Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1) in the country.
A recent case involved a female child from D.I. Khan, with the onset reported on December 31, 2024. D.I. Khan has reported 11 polio cases in 2024. Across the country, 72 WPV1 cases were reported last year: 27 from Balochistan, 22 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 21 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
About Polio
Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure. Ensuring multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completing the routine vaccination schedule for children under five are essential steps to build immunity and protect against this debilitating disease.
To combat the resurgence, Pakistan's Polio Program conducts several mass vaccination campaigns annually, bringing vaccines directly to children’s doorsteps. Additionally, the Expanded Program on Immunization provides free vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases at health facilities nationwide.
The first polio vaccination campaign of 2025 is scheduled from February 3 to 9, and parents are urged to ensure their children under five years of age are vaccinated to safeguard them from this preventable disease.
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