Poliomyelitis
By: Ronnie Festok
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Your questions answered!
What is Polio? Polio is a severe virus caused by the polio virus that can cause paralysis and even death. Although the disease has been eradicated in the U.S., there
are still a few countries in Asia and Africa where the disease is an endemic.
Symptoms of Polio There are three types of polio that are all caused by the same virus: nonparalytic, paralytic, and postpolio syndrome.
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Non-paralytic Polio: The symptoms of nonparalytic polio are very similar to the flu. Symptoms include:
Fever
Headache
Sore throat
Vomiting
Fatigue
Back or neck pain
Weak muscles
Meningitis
Paralytic Polio Paralytic polio is the most rare fore of polio, and the most feared. Paralytic polio can affect the:
Spinal cord
Brainstem
Or both
Typical symptoms include:
A loss of reflexes
Terrible, recurrent muscle spasms
Loose limbs (paralysis)
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Post-Polio Syndrome Post polio syndrome appears a little bit after recovery, lasting for decades. Common symptoms include:
Muscle pain
Joint pain
Muscle atrophy
Fatigue
Sleep apnea
Sensitivity to cold environments
Modern Statistics of Polio Due to the efforts of many organizations such as UNESCO and the World Health Organization, most of
the world population has been vaccinated, rendering them immune to polio. In 2012, there were only
222 patients with the virus, and 2 so far in 2013.
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Works Cited
polio. (2013). In Encyclopedia Britanica. Retrieved from http:// library.eb.com/eb/article-9060621 Who: Poliomyelitis factsheet. (2012, October). Retrieved from http:// www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs114/en/index.html Developed by, R. h. (2012). Post-Polio Syndrome. CRS - Adult Health Advisor, 1.
(2006). Areas with indigenous polio. (2006). [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2006/g8summit/polio_large.gif
Vorvick, L. (2012). Retrieved from Pubmed Health website: http:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002375/
CDC. (2012, January 06). Center for disease control. Retrieved from http:// www.cdc.gov/polio/about/
About the Author Ronnie Festok is a pupil of Dr. Shilds who is doing a project on polio while she is gone.
For more information, please visit cdc.gov/polio