ISLAMABAD: Nine environmental (wastewater) samples collected from different parts of the country have tested positive for poliovirus, confirmed the Regional Polio Eradication Reference Laboratory at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad.
According to The News, samples were collected in December 2023 from Multan, Karachi South, Karachi Malir, Peshawar, Nowshera, Dera Ismail Khan, Quetta, Hub and Mastung and tested positive for Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1).
In Multan, an environmental sample was collected on 18 December 2023 from the Ali Town environmental sampling site, which is the first positive sample from District Multan in 2023.
In Karachi South, an environmental sample was collected on 20 December 2023 from the Manzoor Colony environmental sampling site, which is the sixth positive sample from District South in 2023.
For Malir Karachi, an environmental sample was collected on 19 December 2023 from Landhi Bakhtawar environmental sampling site, which is the second positive sample from Malir district in 2023.
In Peshawar, an environmental sample was collected on 19 December 2023 from Shaheen Muslim Town environmental sampling site, which is the 30th positive sample from Peshawar district in 2023.
The Nowshera environmental sample was collected on 18 December 2023 from the Mill Colony environmental sampling site, which is the second positive sample from District Nowshera in 2023.
In Dera Ismail Khan, an environmental sample was collected on 20 December 2023 from Sherpao & Zafarabad environmental sampling site, which is the second positive sample from Dera Ismail Khan district in 2023.
The Quetta environmental sample was collected on 18 December 2023 from the Surpul environmental sampling site, which is the 9th positive sample from Quetta district in 2023.
In Hub, an environmental sample was collected on 18 December 2023 from Jumma Khan Bazar environmental sampling site, the third positive sample from Hub district in 2023.
In Mastung, an environmental sample was collected on 19 December 2023 from Adalatabad environmental sampling site, the first positive sample from Mastung district in 2023.
The isolated virus collected from all environmental samples is classified as cluster YB3A. These new detections take the total number of positive environmental (sewage) samples in Pakistan in 2023 to 124.
