Polio virus detected in four environmental samples

NIH warns of significant threat to children under five, highlighting risk of lifelong physical disability

ISLAMABAD:

The National Institute of Health (NIH) said on Wednesday that four new environmental samples had tested positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), bringing the total number of positive samples this year to 112.

The four new samples were collected from Karachi and Pishin district in Balochistan province and were genetically linked to the imported YB3A cluster of WPV1.

This cluster had been responsible for all positive samples and two human cases reported in Pakistan this year, private news channels reported.

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The NIH warned that the virus posed a significant threat to children under the age of five, who could be infected with a lifelong physical disability.

The health ministry has urged parents to ensure their children receive the polio vaccine during every immunization campaign to defeat the disease.

The NIH has implemented an integrated strategy in high-risk areas to combat polio, and the government has reiterated its commitment to eradicating the disease from the country