Confirmation of Polio Virus in Environmental Samples from 10 Districts of Balochistan

The National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed the presence of the polio virus in environmental samples collected from 10 districts of Balochistan.

According to the NIH, polio virus has been detected in sewage samples from Quetta, Khuzdar, Lasbela, and Noshki.

Additionally, samples collected from sewage in Mastung, Duki, and Barkhan have also tested positive for the virus.

Polio virus has further been confirmed in sewage samples from Qilla Saifullah, Kech, and Sibi.

The NIH stated that these sewage samples were collected in December 2024 for polio virus testing.

It is noteworthy that last year, 27 children were affected by the polio virus in Balochistan.

According to laboratory officials, sewage samples were collected from Islamabad, Lasbela, Khuzdar, Quetta, Qilla Saifullah, Dera Ghazi Khan, Barkhan, Sibi, Duki, Mastung, Lakki Marwat, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Noshki, Kech, Rahim Yar Khan, and Lahore.

An official explained that if the virus is found in sewage, the sample is considered positive, while any child paralyzed by the virus is termed a positive case.

They further clarified that sewage water sampling from an area is a key parameter to determine whether the polio vaccination campaign is being successfully implemented.

It should be noted that the French news agency AFP reported last year that only Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the two countries in the world where polio virus still exists. This virus primarily affects children under five and can occasionally cause lifelong paralysis.

In 2024, an increase in polio cases was observed in Pakistan, with 70 cases recorded across 33 districts. In comparison, only six cases were reported in 2023, 20 in 2022, and just one case in 2021.

In November 2024, a bomb attack targeting police officers guarding a polio vaccination team resulted in the death of seven people, including five children. Just a few days earlier, two police officers were shot dead by terrorists while on duty protecting a polio team.

In the past, religious extremists claimed that polio vaccines contained pork and alcohol, rendering them forbidden (haram) for Muslims.

Additionally, in 2011, the U.S. intelligence agency (CIA) launched a fake vaccination campaign in Pakistan to locate al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, which further fueled mistrust and skepticism about polio vaccination programs.