Polio virus found in sewage sample of 18 districts

LAHORE: Pakistan’s efforts toward polio eradication have been hampered after the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication confirmed the presence of poliovirus in the sewerage systems of 18 districts across the four provinces of the country.

The National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio reported the identification of Wild Poliovirus Type 1 in environmental samples taken from February 21 to March 6.

The 18 districts affected include 12 districts in Sindh province, two in Punjab province, one district in Islamabad Capital Territory, and two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Polio-positive sewage was found in Islamabad, Chaman, South Waziristan, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, and Lahore in addition to Dera Ghazi Khan and districts in Sindh including Badin, Dadu, and Hyderabad.

This is concerning, given the six reported polio cases this year (four in Sindh, and one each in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab). In 2024, 74 polio cases were recorded (27 in Balochistan, 22 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 23 in Sindh).

Polio is a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis and even death. While there is no cure once you get it, multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule can provide children with high immunity against the disease.