ISLAMABAD: Karachi’s first detection of wild poliovirus in 2023 has been confirmed in an environmental sample from Sohrab Goth.

According to the Pakistan Polio Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the sample was collected on May 15, and its genetic sequencing is still awaited.

The last positive sample in Karachi was detected in August 2022 in Landhi.

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

“The Pakistan Polio Programme is already testing for poliovirus at 114 fixed environmental sites in the country every month. To further enhance surveillance in high-risk areas, it has been collecting additional sewage samples from multiple sites,” an official said.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2023