- Samples were collected from 11 sites in all four provinces.
- Polio virus was found in Pishin, Chaman and Quetta in Balochistan.
- After the new investigation, the total number of positive samples in 2023 has increased to 54.
ISLAMABAD: Officials of the country’s polio eradication program said poliovirus has been found in environmental samples collected from 11 more sites in all four provinces. news On Saturday, just a day after contracting this infectious disease, the fourth child in the country became paralyzed.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health Islamabad has confirmed the detection of type-1 wild poliovirus (WPV1) in 11 environmental (sewage) samples collected in October 2023 (four from Peshawar, four from Quetta block three from Pakistan, two from Karachi and one each from Bannu and Lahore),” said an official associated with the polio programme. news.
In Balochistan, polio virus was found in Pishin, Chaman and Quetta, the official said, adding that in Pishin, the environmental sample (grab) was collected from ‘Turwa’ environmental sample collection site on October 2, 2023. This is the second positive sample from district Pishin this year. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and is 99.4% genetically linked to the virus found in an environmental sample in Kandahar (Afghanistan) on May 21, 2023.
In Chaman, the environmental sample (grab) was collected from ‘Army Kaziba’ environmental sample collection site on October 2, 2023. This is the second positive sample from district Chaman this year. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and is 99.89% genetically linked to the virus found in an environmental sample in Dera Bugti on September 18, 2023.
In Quetta, the environmental sample (BMFS) was collected from ‘Sarapul’ environmental sample collection site on October 3, 2023, the official said. This is the first positive sample from Quetta district this year. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and is 99.77% genetically linked to the virus found in an environmental sample in Dera Bugti on September 18, 2023.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, polio virus was detected at the ‘Hinjil Noorabad’ environmental sample collection site in Bannu, the second positive sample from district Bannu this year. Besides this, three human polio cases have also been reported from district Bannu in the current year. The isolated virus is classified as YB3C cluster and is 99.4% genetically linked to the virus found in an environmental sample from the same district, i.e. Bannu, on September 21, 2023.
Similarly, polio virus was found at four sites ‘Narai Khuwar’, ‘Hayatabad 1 and 2’, ‘Yusufabad and Tajabad’ and ‘Gulababad and Chungi’ composite environmental sample collection sites. In Karachi, the environmental sample (grab) was collected from ‘Orangi Nala’ environmental sample collection site on October 3, 2023, which is the third positive sample from Kemari this year. Similarly, in District Karachi Central, environmental sample (BMFS) was collected from ‘Haji Murid Goth’ environmental sample collection site on October 4, 2023.
“This is the second positive sample from District Karachi Central this year. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and is 99.77% genetically identical to the virus found in an environmental sample in the same district (Karachi Central) on September 7, 2023 Is connected to.” The officer said.
In Lahore, the positive environmental sample (BMFS) was collected from ‘Gulshan-e-Ravi’ environmental sample collection site on October 2, 2023, the official said, adding that it was the sixth positive sample from district Lahore this year. “The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and is 99.5% genetically linked to the virus found in an environmental sample in the same district, i.e. Lahore) on August 15, 2023,” the official said.
These new discoveries bring the total number of positive environmental (sewage) samples in Pakistan to 54 in 2023. While the number of human polio cases in Pakistan in 2023 is four.
