Polio is a disease that can range from mild to severe, but a vaccine has been available since the 1950s. While many parts of the world no longer report incidences of infection, some areas still have problems with the disease. Polio can be easily contracted and spread through contaminated water or food or anal-oral contact. The best treatment is prevention through vaccination. Paralytic polio can cause permanent damage to limbs and post-polio syndrome can occur approximately 30 years after the disease. There is no cure for the virus, and hospitalization or quarantine may be required to prevent the spread of disease.
Polio is known more generally as polio in most parts of the world and is a disease that can range from mild to extremely severe. The thought of a child contracting severe forms of polio haunted parents in many parts of the world until the mid-1950s. That’s when Dr. Jonas Salk announced that he has developed a vaccine to prevent contagion.
With efforts to ensure all children were vaccinated, the threat of this disease gradually receded and many parts of the globe no longer report incidences of infection with the wild virus, although some may contract oral polio vaccine (OPV). . Another type of vaccine using the dead polio virus is now being recommended in many places as it is considered less risky. Despite a widely available vaccine since the 1950s, there are still places where polio is a problem, including parts of the Middle East, and people traveling to remote areas should check whether they need additional polio protection. There is also concern about a growing number of people choosing not to vaccinate their children, as this could reintroduce the virus to places where it was previously thought to have been eradicated.
Polio is easily contracted where it occurs naturally and among unvaccinated populations. It can travel in contaminated water or food or spread by anal-oral contact. Most people who contract the disease will suffer from non-paralytic forms of polio. They may have symptoms of fever, sore throat, vomiting, body aches, muscle stiffness, and sometimes meningitis. A more severe form of the disease is called paralytic polio and can start with the same symptoms. After about 10 days, these suddenly change to include muscle spasms, paralysis of the limbs, and total loss of normal reflexes.
Paralytic polio can affect the spine, the brainstem, or both. When the brainstem is affected, breathing can become difficult and a breathing machine may be needed to prevent death. When any form of paralytic polio occurs, the damage to limbs of the body can be permanent, and many people lose permanent function in some areas of the body.
Another complication that occurs with this virus is post-polio syndrome, which occurs approximately 30 years after the disease. This syndrome can cause problems with breathing, muscle function, or muscle weakness and joint pain. Like paralytic polio, post-polio syndrome may require occupational and physical therapy to maintain some function in affected areas.
The best treatment for polio is not to get it. When contracted, evidence is closely observed that the condition can develop into paralytic forms. There is no cure for the virus, but hospitalization or quarantine may be required where available to prevent the spread of disease for unvaccinated populations. In hospitals, patients may be given medications to relieve body aches or fever and antibiotics if they develop secondary infections. However, no treatment adequately addresses the condition and it has to run its course, hopefully not ending with paralytic types of polio.
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