Poliovirus Detected in Sewage Samples Across Pakistan, Raising Alarm for Child Health

Islamabad: Recent testing has confirmed the presence of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in sewage samples from Barkhan district in Balochistan, along with 10 other districts, signaling a persistent public health threat. This development highlights the continued risk of polio, a preventable disease that remains a significant concern for children across Pakistan.

According to Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health identified WPV1 in environmental samples taken between September 16 and 23 from various regions including Gwadar, Dukki, Quetta, Kech, Mastung, Sibi, two districts in Karachi, Lahore, and D.I. Khan. This year alone, poliovirus has affected 32 children and has been detected in 69 districts across all four provinces and one district in Azad Jammu Kashmir.

In response to the outbreak, a massive immunization effort was recently conducted, covering 115 districts and vaccinating nearly 33 million children under the age of five. Another nationwide campaign is scheduled to start on October 28, aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children. Health officials are urging all parents and caregivers to ensure that children receive vaccinations to protect against polio.

Polio is an incurable disease that can cause permanent paralysis in children. The repeated administration of the oral polio vaccine, coupled with routine vaccinations available at no cost through government health facilities, remains the most effective defense against this debilitating disease.

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