Poliomyelitis Research Papers

Polio an American story is a scholarly readable and informative book which covers the lives of many American eminent scientists who struggled a lot to eradicate polio. This book mainly focuses on the mid twentieth century where the people are very eager to find a vaccine to eradicate polio .This book also covers the entire topics from appearance of polio symptoms to post polio syndrome which shows the valuable thesis done by David M. Oshinsky.

Paralytic poliomyelitis, "polio", held a reign of terror over this nation for decades. But unless you were born before 1955, polio may seem to be just another ephemeral disease that has been nonexistent for years. Those born before 1955 remember having a great fear of this horrible disease which crippled thousands of once active, healthy children. This disease had no cure and no identified causes, which made it all the more terrifying. People did everything that they had done in the past to prevent the spread of disease, such as quarantining areas, but these tactics never seemed to work. Polio could not be contained. Many people did not have the money to care for a family member with polio. This was one of the

In addition to health-related advances, such as the artificial heart valve, DNA structure decay, penicillin, and antibiotics. As well, we can not forget the start of the fight with cancer by the memorable world’s first cancer treatment with Cobalt-60 radiation. Although, new surgical procedures were introduced like the first successful kidney transplant and immunizations like typhoid, smallpox, tetanus, and polio vaccines. Polio epidemics had been occurring in the United States since 1916 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The viral disease struck even important figures as President Franklin Roosevelt that forced him to use a wheelchair and wear steel braces on his legs privately. “In the 1940s and 1950s, widespread polio epidemics terrorized the nation. Finally, research scientist Jonas Salk developed an injectable vaccine to prevent polio. In 1955 the vaccine became available to the general public. American scientist Albert Sabin then developed an oral vaccine for polio. Safer and more convenient than Salk’s injection vaccine, the Sabin vaccine became the most common method for preventing the disease. The threat of polio nearly disappeared and many more diseases no longer affected the American people” (Appleby, Joyce 2004). Therefore, the treatments and cures of several epidemics and diseases were an important factor that caused the Baby Boom due to the decrease in the children’s mortality rates and their possibility to reach adult

Diseases cause malfunctions and disorders in the human health system and might completely change a human’s life. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the thirty-second president of the United States, was diagnosed of Infantile Paralysis, which weakens the functions of muscles. On August 11th, 1921, FDR, the newly elected president of New York’s Boy Scouts, suddenly found that both of his knees stopped supporting him from standing up. He then found that he could not move from the chest down. Though most of the symptoms got recovered later, the part from the waist down was permanently paralyzed. Dr. William Keen gave FDR a physical check and diagnosed him of temporary Paralysis. A few days later, Lovett diagnosed him of permanent Paralysis and said that it

In, “Nothing to Fear: Lessons in Leadership from FDR”, Axelrod constructs an agreeable altercation in saying that fear can be overcome. In his writing, Alan Axelrod talks about how Franklin D. Roosevelt overcame his fear of plio. Having been diagnosed with polio and

Polymyelitis, otherwise known as polio, was one of the most feared diseases of the early to mid twentieth century. This disease either killed or it paralyzed its’ victims. This affected America in such a terrible way by killing or paralyzing thousands of them within the beginning of the twentieth century alone, scaring most other Americans and putting up a red flag for most health organizations. President Roosevelt, however, conceived the idea of initiating the charity that would later

Poliomyelitis was a highly infectious disease that spread through many Americans in the early 20th century. As a matter of fact, over 3,000 Americans died of the disease each year. Families were overwhelmingly desperate for doctors to find a cure. When one suffered from polio, they generally experienced painful symptoms which included not only fatigue and muscle weakness, but even death. Therefore, when the polio vaccine was introduced by scientist Jonas Salk in 1953, it greatly contributed to Americans in numerous positive ways. Environmentally, the vaccine saved countless young American lives affected by the disease thus decreasing American mortality rates. Socially, the polio vaccine convenienced families who were either directly afflicted

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

First and foremost, I thoroughly enjoyed Guerrini's "Polio and Primates" and found it to be both informative and engaging. I did not realize prior to the reading that the path to the polio vaccine was a rushed and flawed one. I wonder how much the misinformation spread across the scientific and non-scientific communities alike as a result of Flexner's research truly "delayed the understanding of polio's complex clinic and epidemiological features" (p. 119). The reading also left me curious as to how the trajectory of polio research would have changed if President Roosevelt had never contracted it during his presidency, since his prominence ultimately led research on the virus to become a national priority. The subsequent public pressure to develop a vaccine further rushed its development with the promise to

Polio, something that can devastate anyone and everyone so very quickly. In 1953, you didn’t know when you could be infected with this life threatening disease.

With a substantial amount of preventive healthcare advancements behind them, the American medical community turned its attention to the deadly polio virus plaguing America. From 1937 to 1952, known cases of Americans contracting polio skyrocketed from ten thousand to a staggering figure of roughly fifty-seven thousand cases. Of those cases within that time period, approximately one thousand five hundred deaths as a result of polio were recorded. In the year 1953, The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis provided the scientist Dr. Jonas Salk with the tools necessary to research, and develop a working vaccine to combat the devastating polio disease. After much trial and error, Dr. Salk was finally able to create what he felt was a successful polio vaccination, and proceeded to conduct a field test. After resounding success, manufacturing instructions for the Salk vaccine were sent to a series of scientific laboratories for immediate production and administration to American children. The disaster that occurred next will forever be known through American medical history as the Cutter Incident (named so after one of the labs that administered the polio vaccine). This medical crisis sent shockwaves throughout America and the medical community, and numerous lawsuits were filed against Cutter Laboratories, resulting in fewer and fewer labs willing to accept contract work in developing vaccines.

When president FDR was 39 years old he found out that he had poliomyelitis (Polio) disease. . He tried to regain his capability to use his legs by swimming therapy for several years, but it did him no good.He was unable to use his legs at all. None of the reporters printed the fact that FDR was unable to walk, and the photographers avoided taking pictures of him in his wheelchair. Which amaze me that his public

The Public Health Lessons of Living with Polio Despite diseases contributing to overall life expectancy, diseases come in all different pathogens, strains, and accompanying symptoms, diseases have impacted how and where we decide to live, our economies, our values, and our daily rituals. Many of the lessons of public health can be attributed to historical events or even ordinary citizens living in society. This paper will identify the struggles and successes of Paul Alexander as well as identify the socio-economic factors that both benefited and hindered the success of Paul Alexander's life. When Paul Alexander first woke up in an iron lung at the age of six, he thought he was dead.

Polio is an infectious disease that has killed and paralyzed many people (Birth of Jonas Salk and the death of polio in India). It has taken the lives of

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