POLIO – CONQUIRE IT

Polio (poliomyelitis) is a disease caused by poliovirus.

Highly Contagious
Poliovirus has a diameter of 25 to 30 nm
8 There are three variations of poliovirus,
wild poliovirus type 1, 2 and 3
(WPV1, WPV2 and WPV3).
Wild polio types 2 and 3 have been eradicated (no longer
exist)
Poliovirus

Virus enters the body through the mouth. It spreads

through: Contact with the feces (poop) of an infected
person.
Organs affected - spinal cord and muscles. Poliovirus
Poliovirus Transmission:

 Highly Contagious
 Poliovirus spreads easily from person to INCUBATION
Sex is a risk factor for polio, with a person.
 Resides in Throat and Intestines: The virus
PERIOD
slight predominance found in males.
lives in the throat and intestines of infected approximately 7–10
individuals.
 Contamination of Food and Water: days (range, 4–35
 Unsanitary conditions can lead to the days)
contamination of food and water sources
with poliovirus.
 Enter through the Mouth:
 Poliovirus enters the body through the
mouth.
 Modes of Spread: It primarily spreads
through contact with infected feces or less
commonly through droplets from sneezes
or coughs of infected individuals.

Signs and symptoms

 Polio (poliomyelitis) mainly affects About 25% develop flu- Between 1% and 5% of
like symptoms for 2 to 5 people infected with
children under 5 years of age. days, such as poliovirus develop an Polio has been around since ancient
fever, infection of the covering times. This ancient Egyptian tomb
 One in 200 infections leads to headache, of the brain or spinal painting shows a man with a
sore throat, cord (meningitis). withered leg unable to bear weight
irreversible paralysis.
nausea Approximately 1 in 200 without use of a walking stick
vomiting, infected individuals
 Among those paralyzed, 5–10% die
stomach pain, develop muscle weakness
when their breathing muscles fatigue. or paralysis, which
90% of people who get
become immobilized. typically occurs 1 to 3 infected with poliovirus
weeks after poliovirus will not show any visible
infection. symptoms.

Prevention
. There are two types of vaccine that can
prevent polio:
•Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV)
given as an injection in the leg or arm,
depending on the patient’s age. Only
IPV has been used in the United States
since 2000.
•Oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is still
used throughout much of the world.