Poliovirus found in environmental samples across Karachi

In practice, the virus was discovered in samples from Central, East, Keamari, Malir, South and West districts.

Key points

• The NEOC remarked the environmental positivity rate fell from 48.1% during the same period last year to 13.1% in the first six months of 2026.
• In June alone, authorities collected 127 environmental samples nationwide, of which 117 tested negative for poliovirus while 10 samples were confirmed positive.
• Outside Sindh, environmental samples from Chaman, Dera Bugti and Quetta in Balochistan additionally tested positive for poliovirus.
• The virus was discovered in samples from Central, East, Keamari, Malir, South and West districts.
• The NEOC remarked Pakistan has confirmed three polio cases so far in 2026.

In practice, the virus was discovered in samples from Central, East, Keamari, Malir, South and West districts. The NEOC remarked no poliovirus had been detected in samples collected from these six districts in June, but the virus was identified in samples collected in July.

For context, a poliovirus-positive environmental sample was additionally noted from Kashmore district in Sindh during July.

Outside Sindh, environmental samples from Chaman, Dera Bugti and Quetta in Balochistan additionally tested positive for poliovirus. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the virus was detected in samples from Bannu and Peshawar.

Rawalpindi in Punjab additionally noted a poliovirus-positive environmental sample in July, according to the NEOC. More read, Pakistan confirms presence of poliovirus in environmental samples.

Earlier, Pakistan has recorded a significant decline in the detection of poliovirus in environmental samples during the first half of 2026, reflecting progress in the country's polio eradication efforts, according to the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC).

For context, the NEOC remarked the environmental positivity rate fell from 48.1% during the same period last year to 13.1% in the first six months of 2026. Between January and June, the number of positive environmental samples dropped from 369 to 100.

Provincial data indicated encouraging results, with all 31 samples from Punjab testing negative. While 30 of 34 samples in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 18 of 23 samples in Balochistan were additionally free of the virus, in Sindh, 28 of 29 samples were negative.

For context, the NEOC remarked Pakistan has confirmed three polio cases so far in 2026.

In short, poliovirus found in environmental samples across Karachi is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.