The Pakistan Polio Laboratory at the National Institute of Health (NIH) has detected wild poliovirus in sewage samples from Peshawar and Rawalpindi districts on Wednesday. According to the Pakistan Polio Laboratory at NIH, the virus was found in an environmental sample collected from Shaheen Muslim Town in Peshawar and in another collected from Sarai Khola Taxila. Type-1 wild poliovirus has been detected in environmental samples in Peshawar, said sources. The last polio case from Peshawar was reported on July 20, 2020.

Earlier in July, an environmental sample collected from Peshawar had tested positive for wild poliovirus. According to the Pakistan Polio Laboratory at the National Institute of Health, the virus was detected in a sewage sample collected from the Naray Khuwar site and is genetically linked to poliovirus in circulation in neighbouring Afghanistan. Federal Minister for Health Abdul Qadir Patel had said the PakisČtan Polio Eradication Programme was in close coordination with the Afghanistan Polio Eradication Programme and the two countries were working together on all levels to curb cross-border transmission.

 
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)