What are the types of poliomyelitis?
There are three wild types of poliovirus (WPV) – type 1, type 2, and type 3. People need to be protected against all three types of the virus in order to prevent polio disease and the polio vaccination is the best protection.
Has there been any cases of polio in the US?
Since 1979, no cases of polio have originated in the U.S. However, the virus has been brought into the country by travelers with polio. The last time this happened was in 1993.
How many cases of polio are there in the US?
Polio does still exist, although polio cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988, from an estimated more than 350 000 cases to 22 reported cases in 2017.
What were the causes of polio?
What causes poliomyelitis? The poliovirus spreads most often from fecal-oral contact. Usually, this occurs from poor hand washing or from consuming of contaminated food or water. Sneezing or coughing also spreads the virus.
Can polio cause problems later in life?
Polio symptoms vary from mild flu-like symptoms to paralysis and possibly death. People who have had polio may experience effects later in life called the late effects of polio, when physical symptoms emerge 15 years or more after the first polio infection.
How can polio virus be prevented?
Polio can be prevented by immunizing a child with approrpiate vaccination. There are currently two effective polio vaccines, the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and the live attenuated oral polio vaccine (OPV).
Which body part is affected by polio?
Polio is a viral disease which may affect the spinal cord causing muscle weakness and paralysis. The polio virus enters the body through the mouth, usually from hands contaminated with the stool of an infected person.
When was polio at its worst?
In the United States, the 1952 polio epidemic was the worst outbreak in the nation’s history, and is credited with heightening parents’ fears of the disease and focusing public awareness on the need for a vaccine. Of the 57,628 cases reported that year, 3,145 died and 21,269 were left with mild to disabling paralysis.
What really stopped polio?
Several key strategies have been outlined for stopping polio transmission: High infant immunization coverage with four doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) in the first year of life in developing and endemic countries, and routine immunization with OPV and/or IPV elsewhere.
Does polio still exist 2020?
Five out of six World Health Organization regions are now certified wild poliovirus free—the African Region, the Americas, Europe, South East Asia and the Western Pacific. Without our polio eradication efforts, more than 18 million people who are currently healthy would have been paralyzed by the virus.
How many polio cases are there in Pakistan 2020?
84
How many cases of polio are there in 2019?
As of October 7, 2020, there were 441 cases worldwide, compared to 378 and 71 cases globally in all of 2019 and 2018 respectively.
What is the key symptom of polio?
Paralysis is the most severe symptom associated with polio, because it can lead to permanent disability and death. Between 2 and 10 out of 100 people who have paralysis from poliovirus infection die, because the virus affects the muscles that help them breathe.
What was the infection rate of polio?
All unimmunised persons are susceptible to the infection. Infants in the first six months may have some protection from passively transferred maternal immunity. Children younger than five years are at highest risk. Poliovirus is highly infectious, with sero-conversion rates of 90–100% among household contacts.
What three countries still have polio?
Wild polio cases have decreased globally by more than 99% since 1988, but the virus is still endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which report dozens of cases every year.
Why Pakistan is still in the race of polio?
Fecal-oral transmission is the most common source of transmission of the poliovirus in developing countries, including Pakistan. In addition to the poor health and water sanitation infrastructure, the transmission of the virus is also heightened because of the high population density and climate conditions.
Why is there no cure for polio?
Once the virus that causes polio has infected a person, there is no treatment that will cure polio. Early diagnosis and supportive treatments such as bed rest, pain control, good nutrition, and physical therapy to prevent deformities from occurring over time can help reduce the long-term symptoms due to muscle loss.
WHO declares Africa free of polio?
Africa Regional Commission
When a country is certified as free of wild polio?
When a country is certified as free of wild polio? A region is certified as free of wild polio after three years have passed without the virus being detected in any of its countries.
Which continent is free from polio?
Africa
When was the last case of polio diagnosed?
Following introduction of effective vaccines in 1955 (inactivated polio vaccine, IPV) and 1961 (oral poliovirus vaccine, OPV), polio incidence declined rapidly. The last case of wild poliovirus acquired in the United States was in 1979.
How is polio treated today?
Because no cure for polio exists, the focus is on increasing comfort, speeding recovery and preventing complications. Supportive treatments include: Pain relievers. Portable ventilators to assist breathing.
Who is most at risk for polio?
Pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems — such as those who are HIV-positive — and young children are the most susceptible to the poliovirus.
Can you recover from polio?
How Long Does Polio Last? People who have milder polio symptoms usually make a full recovery within 1–2 weeks. People whose symptoms are more severe can be weak or paralyzed for life, and some may die. After recovery, a few people might develop “post-polio syndrome” as long as 30–40 years after their initial illness.
How many polio survivors are left?
The World Health Organization estimates that 10 to 20 million polio survivors are alive worldwide, and some estimates suggest that 4 to 8 million of them may get PPS.
How old is the oldest polio survivor?
1. Loraine Allen (c. 1923 – Present) Loraine Allen, who was 97 at the time of her interview in early March 2020, is believed to be the oldest known polio survivor in the world.
Can you still get polio if you’ve been vaccinated?
Do people still get polio in the United States? No, thanks to a successful vaccination program, the United States has been polio-free for more than 30 years, but the disease still occurs in other parts of the world.
What vaccines do we have for viruses?
Four types of vaccines are currently available: Live virus vaccines use the weakened (attenuated) form of the virus. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine are examples.
What famous person had polio?
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Who was the first person diagnosed with polio?
1789, British physician Michael Underwood provides first clinical description of the disease. 1840, Jacob Heine describes the clinical features of the disease as well as its involvement of the spinal cord. 1894, first outbreak of polio in epidemic form in the U.S. occurs in Vermont, with 132 cases.