Health Desk:
The poliovirus has spread to two additional districts in Pakistan, with 26 environmental samples testing positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1).
The samples were collected from 20 districts, including Noshki in Balochistan and Mianwali in Punjab, both of which had previously been free from the virus.
This concerning development comes amid a national vaccination campaign aiming to immunize over 45 million children under five.
With these latest results, the virus has now been confirmed in over 70 districts across the country.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication in Islamabad verified the presence of WPV1 in sewage samples from key areas including Islamabad; several districts in Karachi (East, Korangi, Central, and South); Hyderabad; Kambar; Jamshoro; Mirpurkhas; Rawalpindi; Lahore; Attock; D.I. Khan; Lakki Marwat; Peshawar; Mianwali; Pishin; Noshki; Quetta; and Zhob.
According to a laboratory official, Noshki and Mianwali have recorded their first positive environmental samples, while the virus was previously detected in the other 18 districts through cases or environmental samples.
The continued spread of WPV1 emphasizes the urgent need to protect children’s health and intensify vaccination efforts across Pakistan.
