Ø Polio (also known as
poliomyelitis) is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that attacks
the nervous system.
Ø Children younger than
5 years old are more likely to contract the virus than any other group.
Ø I t can attack the
nervous system, and in some instances, lead to paralysis.
Ø According to the World
Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 200 polio infections will result in permanent
paralysis
Ø highly contagious
virus, polio transmits through contact with infected faeces.
Ø Sometimes it can
transmit through a sneeze or a cough, as the virus lives in the throat and
intestines. This is less common.
People living in areas with limited access to running water or flush
toilets often contract polio from drinking water contaminated by infected human
waste.
Types of polio and symptoms?
Signs and symptoms of non-paralytic polio can last from one to 10 days.
These signs and symptoms can be flu-like and can include:
Ø fever
Ø sore throat
Ø headache
Ø vomiting
Ø fatigue
Ø meningitis
.
About 1 percent of polio cases can develop into paralytic polio.
Paralytic polio leads to paralysis in the spinal cord, brainstem or both
.
Initial symptoms are similar to non-paralytic polio. But after a week,
more severe symptoms will appear. These symptoms include:
Ø loss of reflexes
Ø severe spasms and
muscle pain
Ø loose and floppy
limbs, sometimes on just one side of the body
Ø sudden paralysis,
temporary or permanent
Ø deformed limbs,
especially the hips, ankles, and feet
Oral polio vaccine (OPV).
They should get one dose at each of the following ages
OPV 1, 2 & 3 At 6 weeks, 10 weeks & 14 weeks
(OPV can be given till 5 years of age)
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