Deadly leaks: Polio virus detected in sewer water

Health dept says testing reveals polio in water system of several districts.

MULTAN:

After a third polio case was recently confirmed in Punjab this year, local health authorities in Multan have said that traces of polio have been found in sewerage water. Several samples taken by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Health Department have confirmed reports of the polio virus in several sewer water samples taken from different parts of the district.

“This may mean more polio cases in the province,” said a Health Department official Razia Shah. Local citizens feared that the water supply lines could easily be mixed with sewerage pipe lines in most cities of the province. Water and Sanitation Authority (Wasa) management authorities said that they have already been working to repair sewerage and water supply lines. An anti-polio campaign lead by Dr Nima Abid confirmed that the traces of the polio virus in sewerage water could severely compromise the organisation’s efforts. “This is a very dangerous situation but we have already contacted Wasa and luckily the problem has been brought to our attention in time,” she said. Early stage strains of the polio virus have been spotted in samples from Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan. Health officials have said that samples from the other districts of the Punjab have been found carrying strains of the polio virus. Speaking about the situation, EDO (Health) Dr Inamul Haq said the situation was being monitored carefully.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2011.