The presence of the polio virus has been confirmed in environmental samples collected from five districts across the country, raising concerns over the resurgence of the debilitating disease.
Samples analysed at the anti-polio laboratory established in the National Institute of Health (NIH) revealed the presence of the virus.
The specimens from Kemari in Karachi, gathered between March 4 and 5, exhibited poliovirus contamination. Among these, two environmental samples from Hyderabad, Multan, Quetta, and Faisalabad respectively also tested positive for the virus.
The identified strain, known as poliovirus genetic cluster YB3A, had been eradicated from Pakistan in 2021 but resurfaced after crossing the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan in January 2023.
Federal Secretary Health Iftikhar Ali Shallwani said the virus was so severe that it could potentially cause lifelong disability in children.
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