Poliovirus found in Quetta and Karachi's sewage sample - Pakistan

Source: ReliefWeb

Islamabad, April 19, 2024 - Two sewage samples collected from Quetta district of Balochistan and Karachi Keamari district of Sindh have tested positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1).

According to the Regional Reference Lab for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, the sample was on March 26 from Quetta and April 1 from Karachi Keamari and are genetically linked to the imported YB3A genetic cluster of WPV1.

Positive environmental samples have been reported from 31 districts of the country so far, all of them containing the YB3A poliovirus genetic cluster, which disappeared from Pakistan in 2021, remained in circulation in Afghanistan and was reintroduced through cross-border transmission in January 2023.

The two polio cases of 2024 were also genetically linked to this YB3A virus cluster.

The Pakistan Polio Programme has already conducted three vaccination campaigns so far this year, including two nationwide campaigns, to increase children's immunity against polio. The next campaign is planned at the end of April to vaccinate over 24.4 million children under the age of five.

Polio is a devastating incurable disease. We urge all parents and caregivers to ensure that their children under the age of five are vaccinated against it at all opportunities.

Note:

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus mainly affecting children under the age of five years. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease. Each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, their protection against the virus is increased. Repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio-free, except for the two endemic countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

For further information, please contact: Ms Hania Naeem, Communications Officer, NEOC,