ISLAMABAD, May 14 (NNN-APP) – The Pakistani health ministry, confirmed the detection of wild poliovirus in an environmental sample, from South Waziristan district, in Pakistan’s north-west Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
The wild poliovirus type 1, was isolated from a sewage sample collected from the Qureshi Mohalla area of the district, on Apr 19, the ministry said in a statement.
The virus is genetically linked to poliovirus found in a sewage sample collected from the same district in Sept, 2022, it added.
The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme is conducting tests for poliovirus at 114 fixed environmental sites in the country every month, said the statement.
“To further enhance surveillance in high-risk areas, it has also been collecting additional sewage samples from multiple sites, in southern KP, periodically, and this latest detection is from one such collection site,” according to the ministry.– NNN-APP
