The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad has confirmed the presence of Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1) in sewage samples collected from 21 districts across the country, raising concerns about continued transmission during the high-risk summer season.
According to laboratory testing of 38 environmental (sewage) samples from various regions, WPV1 was found in samples from Loralai, Quetta, Zhob, Islamabad, Abbottabad, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar, Tank, North Waziristan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Badin, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Kashmore, Karachi East, Karachi Malir, Karachi Korangi, Karachi South, and Sukkur.
Samples from Nushki, Sibi, Charsadda, Lower Dir, Mansehra, Swat, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Rajanpur tested negative for the virus.
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Official data shows that eight polio cases have been reported in Pakistan so far in 2025, with two cases detected within just three days last month.
A senior official of the anti-polio program said that Pakistan has now entered the "high transmission season" for the poliovirus, as the virus tends to become more active during the summer months. This, he warned, could lead to a further increase in cases in the coming weeks and months.
Despite these developments, authorities stressed that intensive and well-coordinated vaccination efforts are ongoing to prevent the spread of the crippling disease. According to officials, high-quality campaigns following September 2024 have contributed to a decline in virus transmission in some areas.
The next nationwide anti-polio drive is scheduled to take place from May 26 to June 1, 2025, with a target to immunize 45.4 million children under the age of five across the country
