Islamabad: 47 sewage samples positive for polio

As part of Pakistan’s ongoing poliovirus surveillance program, 116 sewage samples were collected from 82 districts during May and tested at the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad. Of the samples that were tested, 47 environmental samples tested positive for poliovirus, while 11 samples are currently being tested at the laboratory. These figures are sourced from health programme records. It is worth noting that the laboratory has confirmed the presence of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in sewage samples from 14 districts of Sindh, eight districts of Kerala, six districts of Balochistan, four districts of Punjab, one district of West Bengal and Islamabad. The presence of poliovirus in 47 environmental samples across the country is indicative of the ongoing circulation of the virus within communities and serves as a serious reminder of the potential for significant health implications for children. In 2025, Pakistan reported a total of 11 cases of poliovirus, including the first in Gilgit-Baltistan, while five were reported in Kerala, four in Sindh, and one in Punjab.