Introduction
The Polio virus is an organism,smaller than a bacteria which effects human nervous system cells. It multiplies inside the motor neuron cells of nervous system and totally destroys motor neuron cells. The destruction of motor neurons ultimately causes paralysis of various groups of muscles in human body. The virus gains entry into motor neuron cells by attaching itself to the cell receptors.After gaining access it multiplies into thousands in very short span of time, destroys the cell identity and takes the fucntion of parent cell.The polio virus has three variants, type 1,2 and 3.
What are the major muscles effected?
When polio virus attacks the spinal cord motor nerve cells, it results in paralysis or loss of abilty to move different muscles of arms, legs and respiration.This is medically termed as spinal polio.
When it infects motor neurons of eyes, taste, swallowing and breathing, it is known as bulbar polio.
In certain cases it involves both spinal and bulbar elements of paralysis.
How Polio presents?
Polio virus infection occurs in majority cases without any obvious sign or symtom of sickness.
Non-paralytic polio, is a form of polio virus infection where symptoms of flu appear, which last from few days to weeks. These signs and symptoms include fever, sore throat vomitting and headaches. Pain in neck, back and limbs with muscle spasms and tenderness may be predominating complains in some cases. Few of non-paralytic cases of polio develope meningitis, when infection spreads to membrane covering brain and spinal cord.
Paralytic polio has few of symptoms overlaping like non-paralytic variant. But it gets severe and causes impairment of motor functions. It usually is unilateral. There is pain in muscles of limbs, diminished or total loss of reflexes, spasm and ultimate flaccidity of limbs or muscles effected by polio viral infection. When muscles of respiration are infected, severe difficulty in breathing occurs, making survival more difficult. According to WHO every 1 in 200 cases with polio virus developes irreversable muscle paralysis.
Who is hit most by poliomyelitis?
Polio virus has prediliction for infecting children under 5 years of age. Of the % effected by polio virus, 99.5% do not get paralytic polio, only .5% progress to show signs of flaccidity of muscle/groups Other group most susceptable are pregnant women and individual with compromised immune system due to some disease process.
The mode of enterance of polio virus is through mouth. Contaminated water is biggest source of polio virus, which is excreted in faeces of polio infected individuals.
What are the risk factors?
Travelling to regions where polio virus infection is endemic.
Living in close contact with polio virus infected case.
Working in lab which handles live polio virus.
Tonsilectomized individuals.
How Polio virus infection is detected?
During first 3-10 days of illness polio virus can be isolated from oral scrapings.
Major diagnostic specimen is stool sample from individual showing acute signs of illness.
It is very rarely diagnosed from blood or CSF fluid exams.
Can polio be treated?
There is no known cure for any of variant of polio. When it is established that an individual has poliomyelitis, paralytic or non-paralytic, only supportive measure can substantially improve quality of life. For non-paralytic polio anti-pyretic analgesics help to control fever, headaches and associated muscle pains. That does not rid of polio virus from intestine of effected person.
Respiratory infection and breathing difficulty are the major problems to manage when respiratory muscle paralysis has occured. It may require instituting anti-biotics for chest infection and ventilator for maintaing respiration.
When paralysis is at earliest stage, applying plaster splints or sandbags for hip support at angle less than 10 degrees may significantly relieve pain and prevent development of limb deformity.
Physiotherapy is the core treatment strategy of paralytic polio. It involves hydrotheray,electrical stimulation of effected muscle/group and exercises.
Orthostatic appliances are placed over region effected, particularly upper leg to below the knee, to prevent angulation or deformities.
Prevention of polio
The standard oral polio vaccination is programmed to prevent infection from polio virus. Oral polio vaccine drops are given to kids from age 2,4 and 6 months with booster doses at age of 18 months and 6 years.Adults who have complete vaccination documentation during chidhood are considered polio virus immunized or free from virus and carry a life long immunity.
How Polio presents?
Polio virus infection occurs in majority cases without any obvious sign or symtom of sickness.
Non-paralytic polio, is a form of polio virus infection where symptoms of flu appear, which last from few days to weeks. These signs and symptoms include fever, sore throat vomitting and headaches. Pain in neck, back and limbs with muscle spasms and tenderness may be predominating complains in some cases. Few of non-paralytic cases of polio develope meningitis, when infection spreads to membrane covering brain and spinal cord.
Paralytic polio has few of symptoms overlaping like non-paralytic variant. But it gets severe and causes impairment of motor functions. It usually is unilateral. There is pain in muscles of limbs, diminished or total loss of reflexes, spasm and ultimate flaccidity of limbs or muscles effected by polio viral infection. When muscles of respiration are infected, severe difficulty in breathing occurs, making survival more difficult. According to WHO every 1 in 200 cases with polio virus developes irreversable muscle paralysis.
Who is hit most by poliomyelitis?
Polio virus has prediliction for infecting children under 5 years of age. Of the % effected by polio virus, 99.5% do not get paralytic polio, only .5% progress to show signs of flaccidity of muscle/groups Other group most susceptable are pregnant women and individual with compromised immune system due to some disease process.
The mode of enterance of polio virus is through mouth. Contaminated water is biggest source of polio virus, which is excreted in faeces of polio infected individuals.
What are the risk factors?
Travelling to regions where polio virus infection is endemic.
Living in close contact with polio virus infected case.
Working in lab which handles live polio virus.
Tonsilectomized individuals.
How Polio virus infection is detected?
During first 3-10 days of illness polio virus can be isolated from oral scrapings.
Major diagnostic specimen is stool sample from individual showing acute signs of illness.
It is very rarely diagnosed from blood or CSF fluid exams.
Can polio be treated?
There is no known cure for any of variant of polio. When it is established that an individual has poliomyelitis, paralytic or non-paralytic, only supportive measure can substantially improve quality of life. For non-paralytic polio anti-pyretic analgesics help to control fever, headaches and associated muscle pains. That does not rid of polio virus from intestine of effected person.
Respiratory infection and breathing difficulty are the major problems to manage when respiratory muscle paralysis has occured. It may require instituting anti-biotics for chest infection and ventilator for maintaing respiration.
When paralysis is at earliest stage, applying plaster splints or sandbags for hip support at angle less than 10 degrees may significantly relieve pain and prevent development of limb deformity.
Physiotherapy is the core treatment strategy of paralytic polio. It involves hydrotheray,electrical stimulation of effected muscle/group and exercises.
Orthostatic appliances are placed over region effected, particularly upper leg to below the knee, to prevent angulation or deformities.
Prevention of polio
The standard oral polio vaccination is programmed to prevent infection from polio virus. Oral polio vaccine drops are given to kids from age 2,4 and 6 months with booster doses at age of 18 months and 6 years.Adults who have complete vaccination documentation during chidhood are considered polio virus immunized or free from virus and carry a life long immunity.
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