Polio (poliomyelitis) is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis.
About 1 out of 4 people (or 25 out of 100) with poliovirus infection will have flu-like symptoms like ; Sore throat, Fever, Tiredness, Nausea, Headache, Stomach pain, etc. These symptoms usually last 2 to 5 days, then go away on their own.
More so, smaller proportion of people with poliovirus infection will develop other more serious symptoms that affect the brain and spinal cord. Some include meningitis and paralysis. Meningitis (infection of the covering of the spinal cord and/or brain)occurs in about 1–5 out of 100 people with poliovirus infection, depending on virus type. Paralysis (can’t move parts of the body) or weakness in the arms, legs, or both occurs in about 1 out of 200 people to 1 in 2000 people, depending on virus type
Paralysis is the most severe symptom associated with poliovirus 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.
Even children who seem to fully recover can develop new muscle pain, weakness, or paralysis as adults, 15 to 40 years later. This is called post-polio syndrome.
Its important to note that “poliomyelitis” is defined as the paralytic disease. So only people with the paralytic infection are considered to have the disease.
In order to prevent our loved ones and children from being affected, it’s important to vaccinate them to protect them. The first round of the National Immunization Days against polio will run from the 1st to the 3rd of March 2024. Let’s ensure that our children are vaccinated. Vaccines are free, safe and very effective.
#Vaccine #EPI #RDPH-SW
