ISLAMABAD: Two more environmental samples tested positive for the poliovirus in the country on Thursday, just a day after this year’s third case surfaced.

According to an official at the polio laboratory of the National Institute of Health (NIH), sewage sam­­ples collected from Dera Bugti, in Baloch­is­tan, and Peshawar had tes­­­ted positive for the virus.

“Both viruses, found in sewage samples, are similar to Afghanistan’s poliovirus.

“Samples of sewage water from an area are a basic parameter to determine the success of polio campaigns. Moreover, the presence of virus in sewage shows that the immunity level of children in that area has fallen and they are at a risk of catching the disease,” he said.

“The Pakistan Polio Programme is carrying out tests at 114 environmental sites for poliovirus in the country every month. To further enha­nce surveillance in high-risk areas, it has been collecting additional sewage samples from multiple sites periodically.”

Polio, a highly infectious and incurable disease, mainly affects children under the age of five. The virus invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death in some cases.

Vaccination is the most effective way to protect children. The polio vaccine has been protecting millions of children, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio-free.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2023