Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Amongst those paralysed, 5%-10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.
Polio mainly affects children under five years of age.
There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, can protect a child for life.
Polio cases have decreased by 99.8% since 1988, from an estimated 350,000 cases to 483 in 2001. The reduction is the result of the global effort to eradicate the disease.
Last updated on