Wild poliovirus detected from environmental sample in Pakistan's Peshawar

ISLAMABAD - A sewage sample collected from Pakistan's northwestern Peshawar city has tested positive for wild poliovirus type 1, taking the number of positive environmental samples this year in Pakistan to 15, Pakistan's health ministry said.

The sample was collected from Naray Khuwar area of the city on Aug 1, the ministry said Thursday in a statement, Xinhua reported.

This is the seventh positive environmental sample detected in Peshawar so far this year and the fifth consecutive positive from this site, said the statement.

Peshawar was covered in the most recent subnational vaccination drive from Aug 7 to Aug 13, during which children under five were given the oral polio vaccine and eligible children were also given the injectable vaccine to boost immunity, it added.

"Polio campaigns are being held regularly in the country and parents, particularly in the districts of virus detection, must realize the danger to their child and ensure vaccination at every opportunity," Secretary for Health Iftikhar Ali Shallwani was quoted as saying in a statement. - BERNAMA