Polio virus has been found in samples from Bannu, Peshawar, Lahore and Swat.
National Polio Laboratory has detected type-1 wild polio virus from the environmental samples collected from different areas across the country of which Bannu, Peshawar, Lahore and Swat were found with polio virus contamination.
National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has said that during the current year, it was the seventh positive environmental sample from Peshawar, third each from Bannu and Lahore and second from Swat.
Wild polio virus has taken the life of one child in Pakistan due to disease’s complications whereas 17 children have been reported crippled. According to NHS reports, all the cases of children being crippled due to the virus were reported in North Waziristan and Laki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
A total of 10 positive environmental samples have been detected in August of which five were from Punjab and five were from KP.
According to NHS officials, the total positive samples during the ongoing year have reached 21. Seven of them were detected in Bannu, three from Peshawar and Lahore each, two from Swat and Rawalpindi each whereas one sample each from Nowshehra, Bahawalpur, Sialkot and Islamabad.
NHS data has also showed that one positive sample was detected in April, two in May, one in June and 10 in August. A total of 65 samples were detected in the previous year.
In response, an extended outreach activity has been started on September 5 that is ongoing in the positive samples districts.
