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Pakistan in polio grip: Lab tests find virus in 20 districts, 13 cases officially reported in 2025
Pakistan is staring at a health crisis after authorities found the poliovirus in 20 districts in samples collected from sewage. The findings have raised an alarm in the country with 13 confirmed cases so far this year.
A report by ARY News that quoted data from the National Reference Laboratory, at least 13 samples collected between May 8 and June 17, tested positive for Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1). The samples were collected from key cities like Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, as well as in districts across Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
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Meanwhile, Sindh reported the highest number of contaminated samples, with 14 testing positive across 10 districts. Lahore confirmed three cases, while Islamabad and four districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also reported positive samples. In Balochistan, the virus was detected in Mastung, Khuzdar, and Sibi. Additionally, Mirpur in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) showed evidence of the virus.
Vaccine hesitancy
The rise in confirmed cases of polio is reported at a time when Pakistan is witnessing a decline in vaccine takers. Recently, the country conducted a nationwide polio vaccination drive, where at least 60,000 people refused to get the shot, with 39,000 of them in Karachi alone.
These refusals are posing as a roadblock to the country's polio eradication efforts. 'We're not just fighting a virus; we're battling misinformation and mistrust,' a senior official told ARY.
Health experts caution that polio spreads mainly through contaminated water or food and can lead to paralysis or even death. With no cure available, vaccination remains the only form of protection. The World Health Organisation stresses that multiple oral doses are essential to safeguard children under five, who are most at risk.
With the virus reappearing in both urban and rural sewage systems, officials emphasise that the next phase of Pakistan's fight against polio must address both the spread of the virus and vaccine hesitancy with equal urgency.
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