Polio virus detected across all 6 Karachi districts

According to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) for Polio, positive samples were reported from Karachi Central, East, Keamari, Malir, South and West districts.

KARACHI: Poliovirus has been detected in environmental samples collected from all six districts of Karachi, raising fresh concerns for Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to eradicate the disease.

According to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) for Polio, positive samples were reported from Karachi Central, East, Keamari, Malir, South and West districts.

The virus had not been detected in environmental samples from any of Karachi’s six districts during June, making the latest findings a renewed warning for health authorities.

Poliovirus has also been detected in environmental samples from several other parts of the country. In Sindh, a positive sample was reported from Kashmore in July, while Balochistan recorded detections in Chaman, Dera Bugti and Quetta.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, environmental samples from Bannu and Peshawar also tested positive for poliovirus. Rawalpindi in Punjab similarly reported a positive environmental sample in July.

The detection of poliovirus in sewage does not necessarily mean that a child has been diagnosed with polio, but it indicates that the virus is circulating in the community and highlights the need for continued vaccination and surveillance.

Health authorities are expected to maintain intensified monitoring and vaccination efforts to prevent the virus from spreading and protect children from the potentially disabling disease.