Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis is a contagious viral disease, which in its most severe form manifests as paralysis, accompanied by difficulty breathing and sometimes death.
In the USA, the last case of poliomyelitis was recorded in 1979 Today, despite a global campaign, the polio virus continues to threaten children and adults in developing countries.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes recommendations that people should get vaccinated against polio if they plan to travel to an endemic country.
If you have been vaccinated against polio and plan to travel to such a country, you should receive a booster dose with inactivated virus. Immunity obtained after this vaccine lasts for life
Polio virus is only spread among humans and is passed into the environment through the feces of an infected individual Poliovirus spreads through the fecal-oral route, especially in conditions of poor sanitation
Poliovirus can be spread through contaminated water and food or direct contact with an infected person. Poliomyelitis is highly contagious, meaning that if a person becomes infected, their entire family is at risk An infected person spreads the virus in their feces for several weeks
Polio can cause paralysis and death, but most people who become infected do not show symptoms or know they have polio.
Non-paralytic polio Some people with symptoms of polio have a form of non-paralytic polio, which does not cause paralysis. Such a virus causes flu-like signs and symptoms that resemble other viral infections.
Symptoms usually appear within 1-10 days These are:
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Lower back pain or stiffness
- Neck pain or stiffness
- Pain or stiffness Paralytic polio is divided into several types, depending on the affected part of the body These are - infections of the spinal cord (spinal polio), brain stem (bulbar polio) and both - bulbospinal polio
Initial signs and symptoms, such as fever and headache, often resemble the nonparalytic form At about 1 week, signs and symptoms are more specific to the paralytic type:
- Loss of reflexes
- Severe muscle pain and weakness
- Flexible limbs – paralysis, often worse on one side
Post-polio Common signs and symptoms include:
- Muscle or joint pain and weakness that gets worse
- General tiredness and fatigue even after minimal activity
- Muscle atrophy
- Problems breathing or swallowing
- Sleep-related breathing problems, such as Such countries are mainly in Central and South America, Africa and Asia In countries that use the oral polio vaccine (live but weakened) the risk of transmission (paralytic polio) to travelers is very low, but not zero.
Contact your doctor if:
- Your child has not been vaccinated
- Your child has an allergic reaction to the polio vaccine
- Your child has other symptoms after vaccination except: redness, soreness at the site of the vaccine injection
