(Web Desk) Poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been identified in the environmental samples taken from 26 already affected districts across the country. Indicates.
According to the Regional Reference Laboratory of Anti-Polio established at the National Institute of Health, Hyderabad, Jacobabad, Jamshoro, Qamber, Karachi Central, Karachi East, Karachi South, Kemari, Korangi, Malir, Mirpur Khas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sajawal, Sukkur, Chaman, Samples were taken from Loralai, Pashin, Quetta, Zhob, Islamabad, Bajaur, Peshawar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi in which the virus was found. It was pointed out.
This year, the virus has been confirmed in the environmental samples of more than 80 districts, while 67 cases have been reported across the country.
Earlier this month, the virus was also identified for the first time in sewage samples collected from the unaffected Charsadda district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Efforts to control the disease have been forced to intensify.
According to the anti-polio program, a national vaccination campaign was conducted last week in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad, in which more than 42 million children were given polio drops, while the second phase of the campaign was 30 It will start from December in Balochistan.
According to the National Institute of Health, the highest number of cases reported this year is 26 from Balochistan, while 18 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 17 from Sindh and one each from Islamabad and Punjab.
Regional reference laboratory officials say that parents should ensure that children under 5 years of age are vaccinated to protect them from the virus.
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It should be noted that a few days ago in the statement issued by the Ministry of Health, it was said that 60 percent of the polio cases reported this year did not receive any vaccine for routine immunization, due to which the severity of the disease in children can be seen. i came