Polio Essay

Nobody has ever discovered completely how it is that polio is spread. The best evidence suggests that the virus is excreted in the stool and passed through hand to hand or hand to mouth contact by people who do not wash their hands properly or often enough. It was during the first few years of the fifties and many years before then, that health department officials

Poliomyelitis (polio) is a disease that attacks the nervous tissue in the spinal cord and the brain stem resulting in paralysis (Document One). Polio is caused by the poliovirus, but it is unknown how this virus is acquired. The virus enters the digestive tract and stays in the intestines for up to eight weeks, and then attacks the lymphatic system, the blood stream and eventually travels to the brain and spine (Document Four). Once it is infected in one’s body, the disease is highly contagious and can be spread through contact of saliva, food, germs, or feces (Document Two). “The poliovirus causes most of its infections in the summer and fall. At one time, summer epidemics of polio were common and greatly feared” (Document Four). This may

With the last outbreak of Polio in the US being in 1979, many today have no recollection of the terror of this disease. The disease primarily infected children, and there seemed to be no pattern to who succumbed to it. No one could feel safe. Polio as a disease presents such horrors that even those who overcome it once can be plagued by its aftereffects in later life. Before vaccines, single outbreaks could devastate entire communities. One outbreak

Whens the last time someone developed Polio? Not in a long time, this is because we have developed vaccines to protect us. “Vaccines work by introducing diluted versions of viruses or bacteria into a person's body via injection” (Mandatory Vaccination). Since the discovery of vaccinations the medical world has changed forever. In today’s world many families have strong beliefs against vaccinations due to various myths and misconceptions. Since the discovery scientist have created vaccines for many illnesses around the world. When traveling abroad or anywhere to be precautious ask a doctor about vaccine protocols. This also would help prevent the spread of outbreaks. Everyone should be vaccinated because with everyone's immunity built up outbreaks

There is no cure for polio. Your body will shut down and you will weaken, until you lose all muscle function. Tetanus is a serious bacterial disease that affects your nervous system, leading to painful muscle contractions, particularly of your jaw and neck muscles. (Mayo clinic staff, 2013) Tetanus can also lead to death. Meningitis is inflammation of brain and

Polio, short for poliomyelitis, is a disease caused by the contraction of the poliovirus. Like influenza, smallpox and cholera, polio is a viral infection. This means that it is a disease caused by the spread of a virus. It spreads rapidly, and usually through person-to-person contact. In addition, this virus can also be distributed through foods or drinks contaminated by infected fecal matter. Although polio is deadly, sometimes, contractors of polio do not show any symptoms. The

Poliomyelitis, also commonly known as polio, is a viral infection that, at one point was virtually eradicated in the US (SOURCE). The last major epidemic of polio was in the early 1950's (SOURCE). Polio was characterized in one of three ways: nonparalytic

The infection is caused by poliovirus. The disease was not known to be contagious until 1905. Most patients are infectious anywhere between seven to ten days, however a patient is still potentially contagious if the virus is present in the throat and feces. The infection can also spread through contact through saliva, but this is less likely. Incubation period for this disease is anywhere between six and twenty days. Around one out of four people with the poliovirus will have flu like symptoms including: sore throat, fever, tiredness, nausea, headache and stomach pain. These symptoms usually last two to five days and usually go away on their own. But some people infected with the poliovirus will develop more serious symptoms that affect the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms like: paralysis, meningitis (an infection in the spinal cord and/or brain), and paresthesia (feeling of pins and needles in the legs). Paralysis can lead to permanent damage and even death. Death is possible because the virus damages the muscles that make it possible to

Polio reached the height of its pandemic proportions in the first half of the nineteenth century.[2] The creation of the first safe and effective poliovirus vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk in 1955 made immediate and profound impacts in the incidence of disease. For example, in the United States two years prior to the development of the vaccine, the average number of polio cases was greater than 45,000. In 1962, just seven years after the advent of vaccination, that number diminished to 910.[2] The effectiveness of the vaccine soon prompted health officials to extend the application of immunization worldwide. In 1988, the World Health Assembly resolved to eradicate poliomyelitis by the year 2000 and by 1999, global incidence of the disease dropped by approximately

Poliomyelitis also called Polio or infantile paralysis describes an acute viral infectious disease which is generally transmitted by the oral fecal route. The condition is characterized by the downwards flexed foot, withered limbs associated with muscle atrophy following the loss of motor innervations in the limb. The symptoms, location, extent and persistence of the paralysis caused depends on the degree of the damage to the anterior horn neurons and the number of neurons affected. The forms of the disease include the abortive poliomyelitis which is the most common, with symptoms such as malaise; fever and vomiting that subside in few days. The nonparalytic poliomyelitis (aseptic meningitis) has symptoms such as stiff neck and pain in the back and neck. This subsides in 2-10 days. This may advance to the paralytic Poliomyelitis resulting from the lower motor neuron damage. The post Poliomyelitis is characterized by muscle atrophy, especially observed in individuals decades after their experience with paralytic Poliomyelitis. Immunity to the type causing the infection is permanent especially for the types- 1, 2 and 3. Maternal passive immunity is transferred to the offspring and disappears during the first 6 months of life. Humans are the only reservoir for the infection. The Global Polio Eradication initiative embarked upon by the World Health organization, Rotary International, and the UNICEF gives hope of achieving the desired “ global polio free world The

Poliomyelitis, or Polio is a highly contagious disease caused by the Polio virus, which can affect the spinal cord and brainstem. Although 90 - 95 % of who are acutely affected by Polio are Asymptomatic, 5 - 10% experience mild symptoms such as a head ache, fever, fatigue, throat pain and stomach pain and 0.5 % experience muscle symptoms such as muscle weakness, muscle spasming/twitching, loss of muscle tone and complete loss of movement in muscles. If the virus makes it’s way into the brain or spinal cord it can cause paralysis and even death. As mentioned before the disease spreads very easily between person to person, particularly affecting infants younger than 6 months. There

This disease has killed and paralyzed many. One of polio’s fatal symptoms is paralyzing muscles that help you breathe (“Polio Vaccine”).

The effects of this disease are very harmful but are not easily transmitted. There are three different types of infections which include subclinical, nonparalytic, and paralytic. Patients with subclinical polio may not have any symptoms or have mild symptoms that may last 72 hours or less. A few symptoms that can result in the subclinical polio infection can be general discomfort or uneasiness, headache and slight fever, or red throat, slight throat, and lastly vomiting. (NIH). Then patients who have managed to contract nonparalytic polio will not become paralyzed if they are infected with it. Some symptoms can be fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, meningitis, and fatigue. While it may vary a few more serious symptoms can be back pain or stiffness, neck pain or stiffness, pain or

Polio (poliomyelitis) is a viral disease also referred to as infantile paralysis. It is an infectious, potentially fatal disease for which there is no known existing cure. This paper discusses the causes, transmission, symptoms and prevention of polio. Further, it addresses the challenges involved in eradicating Polio and suggests efforts to wipe out this disease.

B. Signs and Symptoms: Approximately 95 percent of people who are infected with poliovirus will not have any symptoms, however, people who are infected and do not have any polio indicators can still spread the poliovirus. People who become infected with the poliovirus can start having symptoms as soon as four days after being infected, and not have any symptoms for as many as thirty five days. This time period between infection and experiencing symptoms is referred to as “The Incubation Period,” which is when the virus begins to multiply within the cells that line the back of the throat, nose, and intestines(“Signs and symptoms of Polio.” eMedtv.com. Clinaero Inc., 2006-2012. Sunday 4-22-12). For the