Media reports said the virus had also been discovered in water samples from five cities. “WHO doesn’t test drinking water for polio viruses; however, environmental surveillance has been established in Peshawar since June 2010 and sewage water samples from two sites are regularly tested by the NIH [National Institute of Health] polio laboratory," Gul Afridi, WHO Pakistan media and advocacy officer, said.
"Wild polio viruses have been continuously isolated from these sites,” Afridi added. The two sites are Shaheen Muslim Town near Total Petrol Pump, and Larama village near Bakhshoo Pull. One sample is tested from each on a monthly basis.
One reason widely attributed to pakistan's dismal performance in curbing polio is the near complete ursurping of pakistan's already meager annual budget by the pakistan Army, leaving the civilian administration with virtually no funds to tackle the deteriorating health system prevailing there.
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