Poliovirus reaches Dadu, found in 8 more districts

ISLAMABAD: Poliovirus continues to spread across Pakistan and the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad has confirmed the detection of Type-1 Wild Poliovirus (WPV1) from one new district Dadu and eight other previously-infected districts.

This brings the total count of infected districts for the year 2024 to 52 while so far, nine people have been affected by Wild Poliovirus 1 in the country, Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) officials said on Tuesday.

In Dadu, the environmental sample was collected on July 2, 2024 from the Masan Muhallah environmental sample collection site, which is the first positive sample from District Dadu this year. The previous positive sample from the district was collected on December 8, 2020.

Officials said the isolated virus from Dadu’s environmental sample is classified as YB3A-4B cluster and 99.66% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Karachi East on May 14, 2024.

In Hyderabad, the environmental samples were collected from the Qadir Pumping Station and the Latifabad-9 Pumping Station environmental sample collection sites. The isolated viruses are genetically linked to the viruses detected in an environmental sample in Karachi East and Hyderabad.

In Karachi, poliovirus was also detected from the environmental samples collected from the Khamiso Goth environmental sample collection site in District West, the Haji Mureed Goth environmental sample collection site in District Central and the Hijrat Colony environmental sample collection site in District South.

In Rawalpindi, the environmental sample was collected on July 1, 2024 from the Safdarabad environmental sample collection site, which is the 4th positive sample from District Rawalpindi this year. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A-4A cluster and 99.77% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Islamabad on June 10, 2024.

Poliovirus was also detected from the Sabzi Mandi environmental sample collection site in Islamabad, which is the 4th positive sample from District Islamabad this year. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A-4A cluster and 99.77% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in the same district, i.e. Islamabad on June 10, 2024.

In Quetta, the environmental sample was collected on July 1, 2024 from the Railway Pul environmental sample collection site, which is the 26th positive sample from District Quetta this year. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A-4A cluster and 99.89% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in the same district, i.e. Quetta on April 29, 2024.

Poliovirus was also detected from the Rasala Line environmental sample collection site in Loralai, Balochistan, which is the 2nd positive sample from District Loralai this year. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A-4A cluster and 99.44% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Chaman on November 13, 2023.