ISLAMABAD: Pakistani health authorities identified traces of poliovirus in environmental samples collected from the country's eastern Rawalpindi city, a statement from the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed on Wednesday, noting that the isolated virus bore a genetic resemblance to a cluster currently circulating in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries worldwide where polio remains a looming threat to the health and well-being of children. The disease, which targets the nervous system and often leads to paralysis, continues to be a critical concern for the South Asian countries.