Polio - Know Facts About It!

In 1988, polio-affected 350,000 children all across the world, including Europe and the United States. The horrific disease is caused by poliovirus, which can potentially lead to irreversible paralysis resulting in death. 

Over the years, the nation has witnessed the elimination of polio worldwide, owing to the several World Polio Day campaigns observed annually on October 24. In India, the last reported cases of polio were in Gujarat and West Bengal on January 13, 2011. The WHO declared India a polio-free country on March 24, 2017, since no cases were reported in for five years.

Currently, polio exists only in three countries – Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. This indicates that the disease is 99.9% eliminated with only 22 cases recorded globally in 2017. We are nearly there, and that is what makes our battle to end the crippling disease all the more pressing.

Here are some facts you might not know about polio –

• Michael Underwood, a British physician, offered the first clinical description of poliomyelitis in 1789

• The first polio outbreaks occurred in Europe in the early 1800s

• The first polio outbreak, which came to light was in Canada, in 1910

• Jonas Salk, an American medical researcher, discovered the first polio vaccine in 1952 as the most effective means of preventing the disease since there is no cure for polio

• Poliovirus, which causes the deadly disease, affects your entire body, including the nerves and muscles

• Polio affects you in three forms – Non-paralytic polio (the one which does not cause paralysis), Spinal paralytic (may cause paralysis in one or more limbs), and Bulbar (may result in respiratory problems, loss of reflex, and weak muscles)

• Nearly 95% of all polio cases do not show symptoms. However, a small percentage of people with polio may experience sore throat, fever, vomiting and nausea, headaches, diarrhoea, or abdominal pain.

• One in 200 infections results in irreversible paralysis, mostly affecting the legs. 5-10% of paralyzed patients succumb to death after the breathing muscles become immobilized.

• Poliovirus is found in faeces and saliva of sick people. It may spread by coming in direct contact with an infected person through the air – for example, by coughing or sneezing, shaking hands, or sharing personal belongings. The virus may also transmit through contaminated water and food.

• Polio may affect anyone at any age, but infants and children below age 5 are especially vulnerable, accounting to nearly 50% of polio victims

• Polio cases have reduced by over 99% since 1988 from approximately 350,000 cases to only 416 cases in 2013. The decrease has been possible due to the global effort to eliminate the disease.

• Together with key health organizations, the World Health Assembly introduced the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, aiming to find a solution to polio

• About two to five out of every 100 children paralyzed with polio lose their lives because the virus attacks the muscles that help in breathing

• Over 16 million people have survived paralysis because of polio vaccination efforts by various health organizations worldwide

• Two forms of vaccination for polio are available – OPV i.e. Oral Poliovirus Vaccine and IPV i.e. Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine. Both vaccines are effective and affordable. Since OPV is an oral vaccine, it can be easily administered by volunteers.

Even today, in a bid to make the world 100% free from the highly infectious disease, the GPEI assists countries in conducting surveillance for polio and large-scale vaccination rounds. The goal of eradicating polio can be met with support from the government, healthcare professionals, and various organizations.