Poliovirus detected in environmental samples of 15 cities

ISLAMABAD: The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad has confirmed the presence of the wild poliovirus in environmental samples from 15 cities across Pakistan.

These findings, based on samples collected between early and mid-September 2024, highlight the continued circulation of the virus in key urban and rural areas, reinforcing the urgent need for enhanced polio eradication efforts.

Dera Ghazi Khan, a district already dealing with poliovirus concerns, had its third positive environmental sample of the year from the Sabzi Mandi site, collected on September 9.

Similarly, Attock recorded its second positive sample from the Pind Ghulam Khan and Saddar Drainage area, collected on September 18. The persistence of the virus in these regions poses significant challenges for health authorities working to curb its spread.

Rawalpindi has emerged as one of the most affected areas, with two additional positive samples from the Dhok Dalal and Safdarabad collection sites. These detections, collected in mid-September, bring the total number of positive samples from the district to 10 this year.

Tank and Dera Ismail Khan, meanwhile, each saw their third positive detections of 2024, with samples collected from their respective environmental collection sites in mid-September as well.

Peshawar remains a critical hotspot for poliovirus, with 19th and 20th positive samples detected from the Naray Khuwar Palosi Pul and Hayatabad areas. These findings, based on samples collected on September 5 and 10, respectively, point to a particularly worrying situation in the city, which has long been a focus of Pakistan’s polio eradication campaigns.

In Karachi, two more positive samples were collected from Sohrab Goth and Rashid Minhas Road, increasing the tally of environmental detections in Karachi East to 32. These findings from mid-September underscore the persistent challenge faced by health workers in one of Pakistan’s largest and most populous urban centers.

Other districts reporting positive environmental samples include Nasirabad, Dera Bugti, Usta Muhammad, Khuzdar, and Islamabad. Nasirabad, with eight positive samples, and Usta Muhammad, with six, have seen a concerning rise in detections this year.

Islamabad’s Jhangi Syedan area reported its ninth positive environmental sample of the year, reinforcing concerns about the capital’s vulnerability to the virus.

These developments come against the backdrop of increasing cases of poliovirus infection across the country, officials in the national polio eradication initiative said. To date, 28 children have either been paralysed or succumbed to the poliovirus in 2024, a grim reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive and sustained immunisation efforts.

Authorities are working to ramp up vaccination campaigns, particularly in areas with repeated positive environmental samples, to protect children from this crippling disease.

Health experts warn that without closing the gaps in immunisation, particularly in districts with high rates of vaccine refusals, the virus will continue to circulate, putting the lives of many children at risk.

The latest positive samples also raise concerns about the upcoming National Immunisation Days campaign, with efforts intensifying to ensure that every child is vaccinated and that no further cases emerge.