ISLAMABAD: Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been detected in four more sewage samples taken from previously infected districts, taking the tally of current year’s environmental samples to 112.

The confirmation was made by the Regional Refer­ence Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health which said that three samples collected from different districts of Karachi and one sample collected from Pishin have been found positive.

The samples were genetically linked to the imported YB3A cluster of WPV1.

According to a lab official, the virus was found in sewage samples of 33 districts this year so far.

“All positive samples and the two human cases reported this year contain YB3A cluster, which disappeared from the country in 2021, remained in circulation in Afghanistan and was reintroduced through cross-border transmission last year,” he said.

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

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

Trump’s folly
Updated 13 Feb, 2025

Trump’s folly

This latest pronouncement only reinforces the fears of those who see the plan as a blueprint for ethnic cleansing.
Corruption ranking
13 Feb, 2025

Corruption ranking

IT comes as little surprise. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2024, unveiled on...
Support from remittances
13 Feb, 2025

Support from remittances

EVEN though workers’ remittances dipped, albeit negligibly, in January on a month-over-month basis, the earnings...
Ill omens
Updated 12 Feb, 2025

Ill omens

One wonders whether institutional leadership realises the long-term ramifications of the ongoing "remaking" of judiciary.
Sunken dreams
12 Feb, 2025

Sunken dreams

ANOTHER tragedy has struck Pakistani migrants seeking a better future. A boat capsizing off the Libyan coast has ...
Hate in India
12 Feb, 2025

Hate in India

HISTORY shows that rulers use hate speech to provoke hate crimes and ‘othering’ among communities. Indian Prime...