By Syed Wahaj Ahmed
Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad has confirmed the detection of Type-1 Wild Poliovirus (WPV1) in 20 environmental (sewage) samples collected in November 2023 from nine cities of the country.
They were collected four from Peshawar; three from Karachi East; two each from Quetta, Chaman, and Karachi Keamari; and one each from Pishin, Karachi Central, Karachi South, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Bannu and Kohat.
According to the report, Pishin (One positive ES from Turwa ES site) the environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 6th November 2023 from the ‘Turwa’ environmental sample collection site. This is the third positive sample from District Pishin this year. The previous two positive samples were collected on 4th September and 2nd October 2023. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.89% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in the same district (i.e. Pishin – Turwa) on 2nd October 2023.
Quetta (One positive ES from Railway Pul ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 6th November 2023 from the ‘Railway Pul’ environmental sample collection site. This is the second positive sample from District Quetta this year. The previous positive sample was collected on 3rd October 2023. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.7% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Chaman (Hadi Paket) on 2nd October 2023.
Quetta (One positive ES from Tawoos Abad ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 13th November 2023 from the ‘Tawoos Abad’ environmental sample collection site. This is the third positive sample from District Quetta this year. The previous two positive samples were collected on 3rd October and 6th November 2023. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.7% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Karachi East Gadap on 6th October 2023.
Chaman (One positive ES from Hadi Packet ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 13th November 2023 from the ‘Hadi Packet’ environmental sample collection site. This is the 5th positive sample from district Chaman this year. The previous four positive samples were collected on 2nd October (n = 2) and 16th October (n = 2) 2023. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.89% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in the same district (i.e. Chaman – Hadi Packet) on 6th October 2023.
Chaman (One positive ES from Army Kaziba ES Site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 13th November 2023 from the ‘Army Kaziba’ environmental sample collection site. This is the 6th positive sample from district Chaman this year. The previous five positive samples were collected on 2nd October (n = 2) 16th October (n = 2), and 13th November 2023. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.7% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in the same district (i.e. Chaman – Hadi Packet) on 16th October 2023.
Karachi Keamari (One positive ES from Muhammad Khan Colony ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 1st November 2023 from the ‘Muhammad Khan Colony’ environmental sample collection site. This is the fourth positive sample from District Keamari this year. The previous three positive samples were collected on 17th August, 5th September, and 3rd October 2023. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 100% genetically linked to the virus detected in a Polio case in Karachi East on 3rd October 2023.
Karachi Keamari (One positive ES from Orangi Nala ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 6th November 2023 from the ‘Orangi Nala’ environmental sample collection site. This is the fifth positive sample from District Keamari this year. The previous four positive samples were collected on 17th August, 5th September, 3rd October and 1st November 2023. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.77% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Karachi East Gadap on 12th September 2023.
Karachi East (One positive ES from Sohrab Goth ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 13th November 2023 from the ‘Sohrab Goth’ environmental sample collection site. This is the 9th positive sample from District East this year. The previous eight positive samples were collected on 15th May, 12th September (n = 2), 26th Sep (n = 2), 10th October, and 12th October 2023 (n = 2). The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.5% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Karachi East Gadap on 6th October 2023.
Karachi East (One positive ES from Machar Colony ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 15th November 2023 from the ‘Machar Colony’ environmental sample collection site. This is the 10th positive sample from District East this year. The previous nine positive samples were collected on 15th May, 12th September (n = 2), 26th Sep (n = 2), 10th October, and 12th October (n = 2), and 13th November 2023. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.89% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Karachi East (Sohrab Goth) on 12th September 2023.
Karachi East (One positive ES from Rashid Minhas ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 15th November 2023 from the ‘Rashid Minhas’ environmental sample collection site. This is the 11th positive sample from District East this year. The previous ten positive samples were collected on 15th May, 12th September (n = 2), 26th Sep (n = 2), 10th October, and 12th October (n = 2), 13th November, and 15th November 2023. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.7% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in the same district (i.e. Karachi East Gadap) on 12th September 2023.
Karachi Central (One positive ES from Haji Mureed Goth ES site): The environmental sample (BMFS) was collected on 2nd November 2023 from the ‘Haji Mureed Goth’ environmental sample collection site. This is the third positive sample from District Central this year. The previous two positive samples were collected on 7th September and 4th October 2023. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.6% genetically linked to the virus detected in a Polio case in Karachi East on 3rd October 2023.
Karachi South (One positive ES from Hijrat Colony ES site): The environmental sample (BMFS) was collected on 7th November 2023 from the ‘Hijrat Colony’ environmental sample collection site. This is the 4th positive sample from District South this year. The previous three positive samples were collected on 13th September, 11th October and 16th October 2023. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.7% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Karachi East (Sohrab Goth) on 12th September 2023.
Hyderabad (One positive ES from Jacob Pump Station ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 8th November 2023 from the ‘Jacob Pump Station’ environmental sample collection site. This is the first positive sample from District Hyderabad this year. The previous positive sample from the district was collected in July 2021. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.6% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Karachi East (Sohrab Goth) on 12th September 2023.
Jamshoro (One positive ES from Drain KB Feeder ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 8th November 2023 from the ‘Drain KB Feeder’ environmental sample collection site. This is the first positive sample from District Jamshoro this year. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.5% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Karachi Central on 7th September 2023.
Peshawar (One positive ES from Naray Khuwar ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 6th November 2023 from the ‘Naray Khuwar’ environmental sample collection site. This is the 21st positive sample from district Peshawar this year. The previous twenty positive samples were collected on 10th April, 9th May, 16th May, 5th June, 4th July, 17th July, 1st August, 17th August, 22nd August (n = 2), 5th September, 12th September, 20th September (n = 2), 4th October (n = 2), 5th October (n = 3), and 23rd October 2023. The isolated virus is an orphan virus, classified as YB3A cluster, and 98.3% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Lahore (outfall station) on 15th August 2023.
Peshawar (One positive ES from composite Hayatabad 1 and 2 ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 7th November 2023 from the ‘Composite Hayatabad 1and 2’ environmental sample collection site. This is the 22nd positive sample from district Peshawar this year. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.2% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Lahore (Multan Road) on 26th September 2023.
Peshawar (One positive ES from composite Yousafabad and Tajabad ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 7th November 2023 from the ‘Composite Yousafabad and Tajabad’ environmental sample collection site. This is the 23rd positive sample from district Peshawar this year. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.5% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Lahore (Multan Road) on 26th September 2023.
Peshawar (One positive ES from composite Gulabad and Chungee ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 7th November 2023 from the ‘Composite Gulabad and Chungee’ environmental sample collection site. This is the 24th positive sample from district Peshawar this year. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.5% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in the same district (i.e. Peshawar – Yousafabad and Tajabad) on 7th November 2023.
Bannu (One positive ES from Muslimabad Sukari Tributary ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 15th November 2023 from the ‘Muslimabad Sukari’ tributary site. This is the 3rd positive sample from district Bannu this year. The previous two positive samples were collected on 21st September and 4th October 2023. The isolated virus is classified as YB3C cluster and 99.5% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in the same district (i.e. Bannu – Hinjil Noorabad) on 4th October 2023.
Kohat (One positive ES from Faqirabad ES site): The environmental sample (Grab) was collected on 14th November 2023 from the ‘Faqirabad’ environmental sample collection site. This is the 2nd positive sample from District Kohat this year. The previous positive sample from the district was collected on 20th October 2023. The isolated virus is classified as YB3A cluster and 99.3% genetically linked to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Nangarhar (Afghanistan) on 20th September 2023.
