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What is polio?
The poliovirus resides only in humans and enters the environment in the feces of someone who's infected. Poliovirus spreads primarily through the fecal-oral route, especially in areas where sanitation is inadequate.
Read more on www.mayoclinic.com
Also known as Poliomyelitis, Infantile Paralysis, Polios, Acute Poliomyelitis, Polio Encephalitis, Nonpoliovirus Poliomyelitis, Epidemic Acute Poliomyelitis, Preparalytic Poliomyelitis, Preparalytic Poliomyelitides
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polio information from trusted sources:
Polio
Polio is a contagious viral illness that in its most severe form causes paralysis, difficulty breathing and sometimes death. Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com
Paralysis, Infantile
Polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus. It attacks your nervous system. In rare cases, polio infection can cause paralysis. Polio vaccination will protect most people for life. The United States and most other countries eradicated polio decades ago, except for rare cases. The disease most commonly affects young children. Poliovirus spreads in human waste. People usually get it from contaminated food or water. Symptoms include fever, tiredness, vomiting, neck stiffness, and leg and arm pain. Most infected people never have symptoms. No treatment will reverse polio paralysis. Moist heat, physical therapy and medicines might ease symptoms. Read more on
www.nlm.nih.gov
Polio and post polio syndrome
Polio, also known as poliomyelitis, is a condition caused by a highly infectious virus. For most people, polio is a mild illness and only causes flu-like symptoms. However, for others, polio is a potentially fatal condition that can cause severe muscle paralysis (paralytic polio). This is because a severe case of polio attacks the nerve cells that help the muscles to function. Read more on
www.nhs.uk
Poliomyelitis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral ... Read more on
en.wikipedia.org
Polio
Polio is a contagious, historically devastating disease that was virtually eliminated from the Western hemisphere in the second half of the 20th century ... Read more on
kidshealth.org
Polio vaccine- 508 compliant
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View Read more on
Internet
Global Polio Eradication Initiative > Home
Nigeria: new technology helps reach more children with life-saving polio vaccine ... Polio eradication this week. In India, a new wild poliovirus type 1 ... Read more on
www.polioeradication.org
WHO | Poliomyelitis
Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. ... Read more on
www.who.int
Vaccines: VPD-VAC/Polio/main page
Polio vaccine info for parents, public, and healthcare professionals. Read more on
www.cdc.gov
Polio Facts
Polio, short for poliomyelitis, is a disease that can damage the nervous system and cause paralysis. Since polio immunization has become widespread in the ... Read more on
www.dhpe.org
Contents
Complications
Paralytic polio can lead to temporary or permanent muscle paralysis, disability, and deformities of the hips, ankles and feet. Although many deformities can be corrected with surgery and physical therapy, these treatments may not be options in developing nations where polio is still endemic. As a result, children who survive polio may spend their lives with severe disabilities.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Prevention
Although improved public sanitation and careful personal hygiene may help reduce the spread of polio, the most effective way to prevent the disease is with polio vaccine.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Risk factors
You're at greatest risk of polio if you haven't been immunized against the disease. In areas with poor sanitation and sporadic or nonexistent immunization programs, the most vulnerable members of the population pregnant women, the very young and those with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible to poliovirus.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Symptoms
Although polio can cause paralysis and death, the vast majority of people who are infected with the poliovirus don't become sick and are never aware they've been infected with polio.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Tests and diagnosis
Doctors often recognize polio by symptoms such as neck and back stiffness, abnormal reflexes, and difficulty swallowing and breathing. To confirm the diagnosis, a sample of throat secretions, stool or cerebrospinal fluid a colorless fluid that surrounds your brain and spinal cord is checked for the presence of poliovirus.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Treatments and drugs
Because no cure for polio exists, the focus is on increasing comfort, speeding recovery and preventing complications. Supportive treatments include: Bed rest; Antibiotics for secondary infections (none for poliovirus); Analgesics for pain; Portable ventilators to assist breathing; Moderate exercise (physiotherapy) to prevent deformity and loss of muscle function; A nutritious diet
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www.mayoclinic.com