ISLAMABAD: Karachi’s first detection of wild poliovirus in 2023 has been confirmed in an environmental sample from Sohrab Goth.

According to the Pakistan Polio Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the sample was collected on May 15, and its genetic sequencing is still awaited.

The last positive sample in Karachi was detected in August 2022 in Landhi.

“Samples of sewage water from the area are a basic parameter to determine the success of polio campaigns. Moreover, the presence of viruses in sewage also shows that the immunity level of children in the area has fallen and they are at risk of catching the disease,” an official of the NIH said.

“The Pakistan Polio Programme is already testing for poliovirus at 114 fixed environmental sites in the country every month. To further enhance surveillance in high-risk areas, it has been collecting additional sewage samples from multiple sites,” an official said.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

Increased inflows
Updated 12 Jan, 2025

Increased inflows

Govt must devise a strategy to increase industrial and agricultural productivity to boost exports and reduce reliance on uncertain remittances.
Gwadar’s potential
12 Jan, 2025

Gwadar’s potential

THE Gwadar deep-sea port, completed in 2007, was supposed to be a shining success for the other newly built ports in...
Broken metropolis
12 Jan, 2025

Broken metropolis

KARACHI, Pakistan’s economic juggernaut, is the largest contributor to the nation’s tax revenue. The Federal...
Afghan outreach
Updated 11 Jan, 2025

Afghan outreach

Islamabad should stress stronger counterterrorism measures, yet also engage the Taliban high command in Kandahar as well as politicians in Kabul.
Fragile recovery
11 Jan, 2025

Fragile recovery

STATE Bank Governor Jameel Ahmed appears to be quite optimistic over recent economic gains. That is not unusual;...
Destination Europe
11 Jan, 2025

Destination Europe

THE country’s aviation authorities can rest a little easy. After a four-year banishment from European skies,...