Poliovirus found in environmental samples from 18 districts across Pakistan

KARACHI: Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been detected in sewage samples from 18 districts across the country, according to laboratory tests conducted at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad, as Pakistan again faces the threat of an outbreak of the crippling disease. 

The positive samples were collected between April 7 and April 17 as part of ongoing environmental surveillance, a statement from the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) said on Monday.

As robust poliovirus surveillance continues in Pakistan, 38 environmental samples collected from sewage lines in 31 districts were tested at the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the (NIH).

The lab confirmed detection of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in sewage samples collected from Loralai, Quetta, Zhob, Islamabad, Abbottabad, Bannu, DI Khan, Peshawar, Tank, North Waziristan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Badin, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Kashmore, Karachi, and Sukkur.

Meanwhile, the samples collected from Noshki, Sibi, Islamabad, Charsadda, Lower Dir, Mansehra, Swat, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Rajanpur tested negative with no poliovirus detected.

Pakistan is one of the two polio-endemic countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, and the number of cases every year had significantly dropped in the country until the spike in cases registered last year.

In 2024, a total of 74 polio cases were reported across Pakistan, with Balochistan being the worst-hit with 27 cases, Sindh 23, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 22, and one case each from Punjab and Islamabad.

So far, the country has reported at least three cases of poliovirus in 2025. Polio is a paralysing disease with no cure, and the completion of the routine vaccination for all children under the age of five provides them high immunity against this terrible disease.

The NEOC said that the Polio Programme is implementing a rigorous vaccination schedule to protect children from paralytic polio and interrupt virus transmission. 

"Thanks to high-quality campaigns since September 2024, polio cases nationwide have declined," it added.

The NEOC further stated that the second nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025 was successfully conducted across the country from April 21 to 27, achieving the target of vaccinating 45.4 million children under the age of five. 

"This remarkable milestone was made possible through the collective efforts of frontline polio workers, the Government of Pakistan, law enforcement agencies, health officials, and, most importantly, the commitment of parents who ensured their children received the vaccine," it added.

The upcoming nationwide polio vaccination campaign is set to take place from May 26 to June 1, with a target of immunising 45.4 million children under the age of five across Pakistan.

Parents are strongly encouraged to ensure their children receive the polio vaccine whenever it is offered, as repeated doses boost immunity and protect against the debilitating effects of the virus, the statement said.

It further emphasised that both parents and community members share the responsibility of making sure no child in their homes or neighbourhoods is left unvaccinated. 

"Each missed child remains vulnerable and can contribute to the ongoing transmission of poliovirus."

Timely vaccination, the statement noted, is the first line of defence in protecting children and ending the spread of the disease.

source geo news