ISLAMABAD: Two new cases of polio virus have been detected in environmental samples collected from Faisalabad and Peshawar last month in Pakistan, JEE News reported on Saturday.
The two new cases are of type 1 wild poliovirus (WPV1). This has been confirmed by the National Polio Laboratory of Pakistan.
Providing details of the new positive environmental sample in Faisalabad, officials of the National Institute of Health said that the positive environmental sample was collected on 07 November 2022 from ‘Pumping Station-3 Achikera’. This was the first positive case of polio virus from the city in 2022.
Before this episode, the last positive sample was detected from the district on 05 April 2021 but it was an orphan virus variant. However, the last wild poliovirus case was reported in 2008. Starting from November 28, a week-long anti-poliovirus campaign is currently underway in the district.
Similarly, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was also detected in an environmental sample collected from Peshawar (Nare Khowar site) in November 2022. The last wild poliovirus case from the district was reported in July 2020. The site covers seven union councils, with a population of 460,511 people, including 67,791 children under the age of five. The last anti-polio campaign in the district was conducted from October 24 to 30, the next campaign will be conducted in the district from December 5 to 11.
With the latest detection of poliovirus cases, the number of positive poliovirus samples in the country has reached 34 in 2022. A month-wise break-up shows that one positive sample was found in April, two in May, one in June, seven in July, and twelve in July. In August, eight in September, one in October and two in November, officials said. During this year, 23 positive cases have been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 9 from Punjab and one each from Sindh and the federal capital.
In terms of cities and districts, ten are from Bannu, six from Peshawar, five from Swat, three from Lahore and Rawalpindi, three each from Nowshera, South Waziristan, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Karachi and Islamabad. . In 2021, 65 positive environmental samples were found in the country.
Meanwhile, a delegation from the Polio Monitoring Board (POB) led by Dr. Chris Elias said there is unprecedented support and commitment to eradicate polio in Pakistan by 2023. Front line workers. Elias said that reaching every child and strengthening the routine immunization system is critical to success during future polio campaigns.
During the visit, the delegation met Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Federal Minister for Health, Engineer-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army and heads of provincial governments of Balochistan, KP and Sindh to help Pakistan eliminate polio transmission by 2023. Reiterated cooperation.
The Polio Monitoring Board is the main decision-making body for the global polio eradication initiative. This is the second visit of the delegation to Pakistan this year. The previous visit was in May, about 15 months after a polio case was detected in Pakistan. The recent visit follows the destruction of several health facilities and mass displacement due to catastrophic flooding, which has increased the risk of poliovirus transmission.
