Causes And Symptoms Of Polio

POLIOMYELITIS often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route. The term derived from the Greek word polios meaning grey and myelós referring to the spinal cord and the suffix -itis, which denotes inflammation.
Poliomyelitis was first recognized as a distinct condition by Jakob Heine in 1840 and Karl Oskar medin in 1890 and this led to the name Heine- medin disease. Its causative agent, poliovirus, was identified in 1908 by Karl Landsteiner.
Polio is caused by infection with a member of the genus Enterovirus known as poliovirus (PV). This group of RNA viruses prefers to inhabit the gastrointestinal tract. PV infects and causes disease in humans alone. Three serotypes of pv have been identified type 1 (PV1), type 2 (PV2) and type 3 (PV3) . All three are extremely virulent and produce the same disease symptoms. PV1 is the most commonly encountered form and the one most closely associated with paralysis. Vaccination with one of the serotype does not provide immunity against the other three, full immunity requires exposure to each serotype.
ABORTIVE POLIO
A type of polio that doesn't lead to paralysis (abortive poliomyelitis). This usually causes the mild, flu-like signs and symptoms, sore throat, fever, nausea, vomiting and constipation or diarrhea — typical of other viral illnesses. Most people recover from abortive polio in less than a week. About 5 percent to 10 percent of infected people.

NON PARALYTIC POLIO.

symptoms include:
fever
headache
stiffness or pain in the neck, back or legs
muscle stiffness or spasms
nausea and vomiting
extreme tiredness develop non paralytic aseptic meningitis, a viral infection of the outer covering of the brain.
PARALYTIC POLIO
This is the most serious form of the disease. Paralytic polio often begins with a fever. Five to seven days later, other signs and symptoms appear like constipation, headache,
muscle spasms.
Stiffness or severe pain in the neck, back or legs.
Rapidly increasing muscle weakness leading to paralysis.
Difficulty in urinating, breathing, talking and swallowing.

AETIOLOGY

Poliovirus resides only in humans and enters the environment in the faeces of an infected person. Poliovirus spreads primarily through the faecal-oral route, especially in areas where sanitation is inadequate.

Poliovirus can be transmitted through contaminated water and food, there's some evidence that flies may spread the virus to food or through direct contact with someone infected with the virus.  (Although people carrying the poliovirus are most contagious 7 to 10 days before and after signs and symptoms appear, they can spread the virus for weeks in their faeces.

Once poliovirus invades the body, it multiplies in the throat and intestinal tract and then travels to the central nervous system through your blood and lymph thus the virus damages or destroys the motor neurons that carry COMPLICATIONS

Permanent paralysis, usually in the legs but sometimes in other muscles as well

Breathing problems due to muscle paralysis or damage to areas of the brain that control breathing

Pneumonia due to swallowing difficulties

Fluid in the lungs

Urinary tract infections

Kidney stones  

Post polio syndrome.

impulses between the brain and the muscles.

RISK FACTORS

You are at greatest risk of polio if you haven't been immunized against the disease. In areas with poor sanitation and non-existent immunization programs, the most vulnerable members of the population, the very old and very young — are especially susceptible to poliovirus. Polio, which once affected infants and children almost exclusively, now affects people of all ages.

Some factors that increase the risk of polio infection or affect the severity of the disease include immune deficiency, malnutrition, physical activity immediately following the onset of paralysis.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

The goal of treatment is to control symptoms while the infection runs its course. People with severe cases may need lifesaving measures, especially breathing assistance. Symptoms are treated based on how severe they are. Treatments include:

Antibiotics for urinary tract infections

Medications (such as bethanechol) for urinary retention

Analgesics (non-opiods) to reduce headache, muscle pain and spasms.