• This is third positive sample from Lahore this year.
• Virus is genetically linked to virus detected in Kandhar.
• Nadeem Jan said dituation of polio is being closely monitored.

LAHORE: The wild poliovirus has been detected in the sewage system in Lahore and number of positive environmental samples in Pakistan has now increased to 17.

This is the third positive sample from District Lahore this year.

The Pakistan Polio Laboratory at the National Institute of Health (NIH), that is also the WHO Regional Reference Laboratory, said the virus is genetically linked to a virus detected in Kandhar, Afghanistan in May.

Caretaker Federal Minister of Health Nadeem Jan the virus is linked to the virus found in the city of Kandahar, Afghanistan.

The Federal Minister of Health said that the frequent finding of the virus in environmental samples is alarming, therefore, the situation of polio is being closely monitored and in this regard. He said the top expert of the polio program has been appointed in Bannu.

He said that all the necessary measures are being taken on an emergency basis. He said this is the third positive environmental sample from Lahore this year after which the number of positive environmental samples in Pakistan has now increased to 17.

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The health minister said that the number of polio cases in the country has decreased since last year.