Poliomyelitis, also known as polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. It spreads among people typically through contact with feces (e.g., if your hand was contaminated, and you placed it in your mouth). It could also happen through contact with liquid droplets when an infected person coughed or sneezed [1]. In some cases, people with polio infection may present symptoms similar to the flu.
However, certain individuals might develop serious complications. Indeed, 1 in 25 people infected will end up presenting meningitis, which is an infection of the tissues surrounding the spinal cord and the brain. In addition, another risk is that approximately 1 per every 200 infected people will suffer from paralysis. This could even become lethal when the paralysis makes it impossible to breath [2].
Poliomyelitis mostly affects kids under five years old [2]. Before the polio vaccine was developed (one type in 1955 and the other one in 1963), there were over 15,000 cases of polio-caused paralysis happening in a year in the United States [3].
In 1988, the number of polio cases in over 125 countries was approximately 350,000 [2]. In contrast, by 2018, there were only 33 cases.
How did this happen? Well, in 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was launched, and thanks to the collaboration of national governments, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization, UNICEF, Rotary International, and others, the number of cases has fallen more than 99% [2].
If the GPEI had not come into play, over 18 million people would suffer polio paralysis nowadays [4]. This is an example of how determination and cooperation among institutions can help save and maintain the quality of life of children across the world.
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Written by: Alba
Edited by: María and Natasha
BioDecoded is a volunteer group committed to sharing accurate scientific information. We cannot offer any specific health advice. If you have any doubts about getting vaccinated due to previous health conditions, please speak with your healthcare professional or family physician. Your doctor can revise your medical history and advise you on the best path to follow. If you have any questions about this topic, please comment or send them to our email.
References:
What is polio? (2021). CDC. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/polio/what-is-polio/index.htm (Accessed 3 April 2021).
Poliomyelitis (2021). WHO. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/poliomyelitis (Accessed 3 April 2021).
Polio elimination in the United States (2021). CDC. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/polio/what-is-polio/polio-us.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fpolio%2Fus%2Findex.html (Accessed 3 April 2021).
Global immunization (2021). CDC. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/polio/progress/index.htm (Accessed 3 April 2021).
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