Islamabad – June 28, 2024 Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been found in sewage samples collected from Gujranwala district of Punjab and six previously infected districts.
According to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, environmental samples collected between June 6 and June 11 from districts Gujranwala, Quetta, Nasirabad, Peshawar, Karachi East, Karachi Central and Islamabad contained WPV1.
Virus found in these samples was genetically linked to the YB3A genetic cluster of WPV1, which has been detected in all positive cases and sewage samples reported this year.
This virus has been found in 47 districts this year, including two districts where only cases have been reported, not positive environmental samples.
The Pakistan Polio Programme has already conducted five vaccination campaigns, including two nationwide campaigns that reached over 40 million children in January and February.
The next polio drive is scheduled from July 1 to July 7 to vaccinate over 9.5 million children under the age of five in 41 districts where the risk of poliovirus transmission remains high.
Polio is a devastating incurable disease that can leave a child paralyzed for life. Repeated vaccination is essential to protect children from disability. The Pakistan Polio Programme urges all parents and caregivers to ensure that their children are vaccinated against polio at every opportunity and have completed all routine vaccinations to protect them from 12 vaccine-preventable childhood diseases.
Note:
Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus mainly affecting children under the age of five years. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease. Each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, their protection against the virus is increased. Repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio-free, except for the two endemic countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
For further information, please contact: Ms Hania Naeem, Communications Officer, NEOC,
Contact No:+923431101988
Email: hanianaim17@gmail.com