What is Polio?

Polio is a crippling and potentially deadly viral infectious disease that affects the nervous system.

There are three individual and immunologically distinct wild poliovirus strains:

Wild Poliovirus type 1 (WPV1)

Wild Poliovirus type 2 (WPV2)

Wild Poliovirus type 3 (WPV3)

Symptomatically, all three strains are identical, in that they cause irreversible paralysis or even death. However, there are genetic and virological differences, which make these three strains separate viruses which must each be eradicated individually.

Spread:

The virus is transmitted by person-to-person mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (for example, through contaminated water or food).

It largely affects children under 5 years of age. The virus multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis.

Symptoms:

Most people with polio do not feel sick. Some people have only minor symptoms, such as fever, tiredness, nausea, headache, pain in the arms and legs, etc.

In rare cases, polio infection causes permanent loss of muscle function (paralysis).

Polio can be fatal if the muscles used for breathing are paralysed or if there is an infection of the brain.

Prevention and Cure:

There is no cure, but it can be prevented through Immunisation.

Vaccines:

Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV): It is given orally as a birth dose for institutional deliveries, then primary three doses at 6, 10 and 14 weeks and one booster dose at 16-24 months of age.

Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV): It is introduced as an additional dose along with the 3rd dose of DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus) under the Universal  Immunisation  Programme (UIP).