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Polio – A Devastating Disease

During the first half of the 20th century, no illness inspired more dread and outright panic than polio. Sometimes called infantile paralysis, polio epidemics struck the US every summer and fall. In 1952, when polio was at its peak, over 21,000 cases of paralytic polio were reported.¹

Click on the question below to learn more about polio

What is polio?
Polio is caused by a virus and is highly contagious … [MORE]

What are the signs and symptoms of polio?
Despite polio’s ability to cause paralysis and death, most people don’t get sick … [MORE]

What are potential complications of polio?
Polio can affect the muscles, lungs, kidneys, and heart … [MORE]

Who gets polio?
People who haven’t been vaccinated are at greatest risk for getting polio… [MORE]

How is polio treated?
People with polio were often encased in iron lungs for months or years … [MORE]

How do you prevent polio?
Vaccination is the only way to prevent polio … [MORE]

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What is polio?

• Polio is a highly contagious disease that is caused by a virus that primarily lives in the intestines and human feces^1,2
• The poliovirus is spread from person-to- person primarily through oral contact with the feces of an infected person (for example, by changing diapers); it can also spread through contaminated food or water, especially in areas with poor sanitation systems.^1,2 There have also been cases that have been transmitted by direct oral contact or by droplet spread³
• Once inside the body, the poliovirus multiplies in the throat and intestinal tract, then travels through the bloodstream where it infects the brain and spinal cord^1,2
• Paralysis occurs because the poliovirus attacks the nervous system and damages or destroys the nerves that send messages between the brain and the muscles^1,2

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What are the signs and symptoms of polio?

Although polio has the ability to cause paralysis and death, most people who are infected with the poliovirus don’t get sick, but these people can still spread the virus to others.^1,2 Of those who do contract polio, a small subset will develop either nonparalytic or paralytic polio.

• This form of the disease doesn’t lead to paralysis; symptoms can include: sore throat, fever, nausea, vomiting, constipation, or diarrhea; most people recover within a week^1,2
• Nonparalytic aseptic meningitis (an infection of the outer covering of the brain) is another type of nonparalytic polio that causes stiffness of the neck, back, and/or legs in addition to the flu-like symptoms mentioned above; these symptoms generally last from 2 to 10 days, followed by a complete recovery^1,2

Paralytic polio—Less than 1% of infected people develop paralytic polio

• This is the most serious form of the disease; it can be fatal without respiratory support^1,2

• Paralytic polio often begins with a fever; other symptoms, including headache, neck and back stiffness, and constipation, generally appear a few days later^1,2

• Acute flaccid paralysis, which causes the limbs to appear loose and floppy, often comes on suddenly and usually affects only one side; if both sides are affected, typically one side is worse than the other¹

Learn more about paralytic polio NOW

Post-polio syndrome

• 30 or 40 years after recovery, 25% to 40% of adults who had polio as children experience muscle weakness and pain in the limbs that were previously affected by polio, or they develop new weakness or paralysis^1,2
  
• Other signs and symptoms may include fatigue and exhaustion with minimal activity, breathing or swallowing problems, sleep-related breathing disorders (for example, sleep apnea), and/or decreased tolerance of cold temperatures^1,2
  

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What are potential complications of polio?

Polio can lead to muscle paralysis that results in deformities of the hips, ankles, and feet. Although many of the deformities can be corrected with surgery and physical therapy, these treatments often aren’t available options in the developing countries where polio still exists.

Other complications associated with the prolonged hospital stay as a result of the paralysis caused by polio infection involve the lungs, kidneys, and heart:

• Pulmonary edema—A potentially life-threatening condition that fills the lungs with fluid and prevents them from absorbing oxygen¹

• Aspiration pneumonia—An inflammation of the lungs that is caused by inhaling stomach contents into the lungs¹

• Urinary tract infections—Bacterial infections that can permanently damage the kidneys if not treated promptly¹

• Kidney stones—Usually form when urine becomes too concentrated; they may cause ongoing urinary tract infections or kidney damage¹

• Intestinal obstruction—A partial or complete blockage of the bowel that prevents
  food from moving through the intestinal tract; severe obstructions can lead to potentially life-threatening complications¹

• Myocarditis—An inflammation of the thick muscular layer of the heart that can
  lead to chest pain, an abnormal heartbeat, or congestive heart failure; it can also cause blood clots to form, which greatly increases the risk of stroke¹

• Cor pulmonale—A heart condition that occurs when the right side of the heart
  can’t pump hard enough to compensate for prolonged high blood pressure in the arteries and veins in the lungs¹

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Who gets polio?

Natural, or “wild-type,” polio has not occurred in the US since 1979, or in the Western Hemisphere since 1991.^1,2

However, children and adults who haven’t been vaccinated against polio could get the disease if they:

• Travel to a country where polio still exists or where outbreaks have recently occurred^1,2
  
• Come into contact with infected travelers from countries where polio still occurs^1,2

Find out which countries are still at risk from polio NOW

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How is polio treated?

Past Treatment Options
In 1916, a large polio outbreak in the United Stated spurred researchers to find treatments for the disease. What resulted was one of the most recognized symbols of polio’s long and difficult history.¹

The iron lung—About the size and weight of a small car, the iron lung was a sealed chamber with an electrically driven bellows that regulated breathing. People with polio were encased in the metal chambers for months, years, and sometimes for life.¹

A number of other therapies, including rigid braces and body casts, were also tried
in an effort to prevent deformities. However, these treatments often did more harm than good.¹

Then in the 1940s, an Australian army nurse—Sister Elizabeth Kenny—began treating afflicted limbs with massage, exercise, and warm, moist heat. While Kenny’s therapy could improve mobility, it could not reverse permanent paralysis.¹

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Current Treatment Options
Because no cure for polio exists, the focus is on increasing comfort, speeding recovery, and preventing complications. Today, supportive treatments for polio include:¹

• Antibiotics for secondary infection
  
• Analgesics for pain
  
• Portable ventilators for breathing
  
• Moderate exercise
  
• A nutritious diet
  

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Click image to view childhood immunization schedule.²

How do you prevent polio?

Vaccination is the best way to prevent polio.¹

Children
Today, most children in the US receive 4 doses (injections) of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) according to the following schedule:^1,2

• 2 months old
• 4 months old
• Between 6 and 18 months
• A booster between 4 and 6 years

Learn more about polio vaccines NOW

Adults
Most adults do not need the polio vaccine because they were vaccinated as children. But there are 3 groups of adults who should consider vaccination because they are at higher risk than the general adult population.¹

• People who are traveling to areas of the world where polio still commonly occurs
• Laboratory workers who might handle poliovirus
• Health-care workers treating patients who may have polio

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