POLIO

Introduction

Polio is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by a virus that invades the nervous system. Poliovirus spreads through contact with the stool (feces) of an infected person or droplets from a sneeze or cough. Poliovirus is usually spread from person to person through infected fecal matter entering the mouth. It may also be spread by food or water containing human feces and less commonly from infected saliva. Those who are infected may spread the disease for up to six weeks even if no symptoms are present.The disease may be diagnosed by finding the virus in the feces or detecting antibodies against it in the blood.The disease occurs naturally only in humans.

Symptoms

Most individuals infected with the virus will not experience any symptoms at all; some individuals will experience minor symptoms such as fever, fatigue, nausea, headache, flu-like symptoms, stiffness in the neck and back, and pain in the limbs which often resolves completely. In some people, the polio virus can result in paralysis (usually the legs), which can lead to permanent disability and death, in most cases by paralyzing the muscles that help them breathe.

Prevention

The disease is preventable with the polio vaccine; however, multiple doses are required for it to be effective The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends polio vaccination boosters for travelers and those who live in countries where the disease is endemic.Once infected, there is no specific treatment.In 2018, there were 33 cases of wild polio and 104 cases of vaccine-derived polio.

 Regards

Billie

Managing Editor

Journal of infectious disease and treatment