KARACHI: The regional reference laboratory for polio eradication at NIH Islamabad has confirmed the detection of Type-1 Wild Poliovirus (WPV1) in nine (09) environmental samples collected in October including four from Karachi, two from Chaman and one each from Peshawar, Kohat and Nowshera, officials said on Thursday.
In Karachi, poliovirus was detected in two environmental samples from Karachi South including Manzoor Colony Nala and Hijrat Colony sites, and Sohrab Goth and Machar Colony Environmental sites in Karachi East, officials said. They said the poliovirus found in Karachi South from Manzoor Colony Nala is classified as a YB3A cluster and 99.66pc genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Karachi East Gadap on September 12. Similarly, the poliovirus found in the environmental sample in the Hijrat Colony site is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.33pc genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Lahore (Out Fall station-2) on 15th August 2023.