LAHORE: National Institute of Health has found traces of the polio virus in sewage samples collected from Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city.
The number of positive samples found this year are 17. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio remains an imminent threat to the health and well-being of children. Only two cases of polio have been confirmed in Pakistan this year, which authorities say signals progress in the ultimate solution to polio, although positive samples from the environment are still being detected.
This week, Pakistan’s interim health minister, Dr. Nadeem Jan said he was formulating a strategy to curb the transmission of polio from Afghanistan, saying the disease would continue to pose a risk to Pakistan if it was not completely eradicated from the neighboring state.
“This is the third positive polio sample from Lahore district this year,” NIH statement read besides adding that the sample bore genetic similarity to a sample found in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province in May.
The last confirmed case of polio from Lahore was in July 2020. Four environmental samples were found in the city in 2022, while three have been found so far this year.
Dr. Shahzad Baig, the coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), said the number of polio samples showing a genetic link to Afghanistan was increasing, but Pakistan’s ongoing polio eradication efforts had “effectively prevented the spread of the virus”.
“Our vigilant virus surveillance system has been consistently quick to identify threats and we have taken a proactive approach to all detections with the health and safety of every child a priority,” Baig said.
The polio vaccination was last held in Lahore between May 15 and 21, while the nationwide campaign is set to begin in the last week of September, the NIH said.
This month, Pakistan carried out a polio eradication campaign in 65 districts, aiming to vaccinate over eight million children under the age of five.
