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Hi Summer: What do you know about polio in the world today? How effective have eradication efforts been? Where is it still found? Can you name at least 2 reasons that some parts of the world are still seeing this disease?
Hi Summer: What do you know about polio in the world today? How effective have eradication efforts been? Where is it still found? Can you name at least 2 reasons that some parts of the world are still seeing this disease?
NON PARALYTIC polio (abortive polio)
This type of polio does not lead to paralysis. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in 200 polio infections will result in permanent paralysis.
Symptoms: But this virus causes the same typical flu like symptoms. Signs and symptoms, which generally last 1-10 days.
Symptoms: But this virus causes the same typical flu like symptoms. Signs and symptoms, which generally last 1-10 days.
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Back pain or stiffness
- Neck pain or stiffness
- Pain or stiffness in the arms or legs
- Muscle weakness or tenderness
- Meningitis
Paralytic polio
In rare cases, poliovirus infection leads to paralytic polio, the most serious form of the disease. Paralytic polio has several types, based on the part of your body that's affected — your spinal cord (spinal polio), your brainstem (bulbar polio) or both (bulbospinal polio).
Symptoms: Initial signs and symptoms of paralytic polio, such as fever and headache, often mimic those of nonparalytic polio. Within a week, however, signs and symptoms specific to paralytic polio appear, including:
Prevention: There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, can protect a child for life.
Symptoms: Initial signs and symptoms of paralytic polio, such as fever and headache, often mimic those of nonparalytic polio. Within a week, however, signs and symptoms specific to paralytic polio appear, including:
- Loss of reflexes
- Severe muscle aches or weakness
- Loose and floppy limbs (flaccid paralysis), often worse on one side of the body
Prevention: There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, can protect a child for life.
THe Polio Epidemic of 1952
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Polio is a viral disease that affects the nervous system. The first major polio epidemic in the United States occurred in 1916. In the 1940s and 50s, polio outbreaks created frenzy, frightening parents and prohibiting travel from city to city within the United States. Some towns were quarantined to protect the public from affected individuals.
It reached a peak in 1952, when over 58,000 cases were reported, including 3,145 deaths. But thanks to to effective vaccine, United States has been polio free since 1979. http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/10-worst-disease-outbreaks#6 |
Jonas SalkSalk worked to develop vaccines that killed each of the three types of polio viruses. After injecting small groups of people, Salk announced in October 1953 that he had injected 600 people with the vaccine. This experimental group would determine the safety of the new vaccine. The next month, the National Foundation of Infantile Paralysis announced it was making plans for large scale testing of Salk's vaccine.
During the next year more than a million children received three injections for the three types of viruses. Salk also injected himself, his wife and children. The testing proved that this was the first answer in combating polio. The new vaccine, however, had one drawback: booster injections had to be given periodically. |
Albert SabinSabin, meanwhile, had been conducting experiments on obtaining a live polio virus pill to be taken orally since 1952. In 1955, he conducted experiments with prisoners who had volunteered.
Sabin and his associates took the oral live viruses before conducting experiments on select groups of people form 1955 to 1957. During this period, Salk's vaccine was in use, but many virologists throughout the world believed Sabin had a superior vaccine. From 1957 to 1959, the U.S.S.R. and the other Eastern Bloc nations gave the oral vaccine, with its advantages of oral administration and long-term immunity, to millions of children and adults. Finally, Sabin's vaccine was used in the United States. Sabin died on March 3, 1993. Dr. Jonas Salk died on June 23, 1995. |
Current News on Polio
India is now Polio free
India as well as WHO's southeast Asia region was certified polio-free by an independent commission under the World Health Organization certification process.
Polio eradication is one of the biggest public health successes of India. From being one of the top three countries reporting polio, there hasn't been a single polio case in the country for the last three years... [Article Here] Polio virus from Afghanistan found in Peshawar water
http://www.dawn.com/news/1099809/polio-virus-from-afghanistan-found-in-peshawar-water
http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/health/2014/04/28/stephanie-lipscomb-cancer-poliovirus/8442841/ |