Polio virus detected in Peshawar, Sibi sewage samples

• The detected, isolated virus is classified as YB3A complex.
• It is 99.66% genetically related to one found in Quetta.
• The last 2 positive samples were collected on January 2 and 15.

KARACHI: The Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative has detected wild poliovirus Type-1 in environmental samples from Peshawar and Sibi, The news reported on Tuesday.

A PEI official said in the publication that the Regional Polio Eradication Reference Laboratory at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, confirmed the detection of wild polio virus type 1 (WPV1) in two environmental samples (wastewater) from Sibi and Peshawar districts.

The team collected a sample from the ‘Main Ghanda Nala’ environmental sampling area in Balochistan’s Sibi district on January 15. This sample was the first positive sample from the area since the establishment of the sample site in December 2022.

The detected, isolated virus is classified as cluster YB3A. It is 99.66% genetically related to the one identified in the environmental sample from Quetta.

In Peshawar, the environmental sample was collected on January 22 from ‘Yousafabad and Tajabad Tributary of Naray Khuwar’, which is the third positive sample from Peshawar this year.

The two previous positive samples were collected on January 2 and 15. The isolated virus is classified as cluster YB3A. The new detection brings the tally of positive environmental samples to 30 in 2024.

Earlier this month, on February 4, a wild poliovirus 1 (WPV1) was detected in 30 environmental samples collected from different cities of all four provinces of Pakistan, 28 of which were collected in January 2024.

In Quetta, environmental samples were collected from environmental sampling areas Jatak Killi and Takhthani, Railway Pul, Surpul, Tawoosabad. The isolated viruses are classified as cluster YB3A and are 99.5% genetically related to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Kandahar (Afghanistan) on May 21, 2023.

In Khuzdar, the environmental sample was collected on 27 December 2023 from the ‘Katan Pul’ environmental sample collection site, which was the first positive sample from the Khuzdar region in 2023.

Wild poliovirus was also detected in wastewater from Rawalpindi’s ‘Dhok Dalal’ environmental sample collection sites, Dera Ghazi Khan’s Main Disposal, Lahore’s Outfall Station-G.

The isolated virus is classified as YB3A “ORPHAN” complex and is 98.34% genetically related to the virus detected in an environmental sample in Jalalabad (Afghanistan) on April 2, 2023. In Karachi East, the environmental samples were detected by Sohrab Goth, Machar Colony, Rashid Minhas Road, Chakora Nullah environmental sites,