The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad has confirmed that the virus was detected in an environmental sample from nine districts.
This brings the total number of districts with reported virus presence to 52 this year. In the first seven months of the year, nine children have also been reported infected by polio.
A polio program official confirmed that environmental samples from Dadu, Hyderabad, Karachi South, Karachi Central, Karachi West, Quetta, Loralai, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad tested positive for Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1).
The official stated that the virus has been detected in 52 districts this year. He emphasized the importance for parents to recognize the ongoing threat the virus poses and urged them to ensure their children receive the polio vaccine by welcoming vaccinators into their homes.