Poliomyelitis
What is it?
Poliomyelitis, also known as infantile paralysis or polio, is a highly contagious viral infection. In its most severe form, polio may cause rapid and irreversible paralysis and until the late 1950s was one of the most feared infectious diseases, often occurring in epidemics. Postpolio syndrome or postpoliomyelitic progressive muscular atrophy may occur 30 years or more after the initial infection, gradually producing additional muscle weakness, atrophy, and pain. Polio is preventable by immunization and has virtually disappeared in this country; however, the danger from this disease still exists. The dramatic decline in cases of polio has created a false sense of security; fewer children in the United States have been receiving the vaccine, so the number of people vulnerable to the infection is rising. Polio is still common in much of the world, and there is no cure; therefore, until the poliovirus is destroyed, immunization remains essential for protection.
What Causes It?
- Poliomyelitis is caused by a viral infection by one of the three forms of poliovirus.
- The virus may be spread through contact with contaminated food and water, or by infected saliva expelled during coughing or sneezing.
Prevention
- A series of vaccines is recommended to begin at two months of age, repeated at four and 18 months of age, and followed by a booster shot when the child enters school (between the ages of four and six).
- In adults, immunization against polio is only recommended before traveling to an area where polio is common.
Diagnosis
- Patient history and physical examination.
- Blood tests.
- Lumbar puncture (spinal tap).
How to Treat It
- Bed rest is advised until severe symptoms subside.
- Pain relievers may be administered to reduce fever, pain, and muscle spasms.
- Your doctor may prescribe bethanechol to treat urinary retention and antibiotics to fight an associated bacterial infection of the urinary tract.
- A urinary catheter, a thin tube attached to a storage bag used to collect urine, may be necessary if bladder control has been lost because of paralysis.
- Artificial respiration may be required if breathing is impaired; in some cases a surgical opening (tracheotomy) in the throat may be necessary.
- Physical therapy is needed in cases of temporary or permanent paralysis.Mechanical aids such as braces, crutches, a wheelchair, and special shoes may aid in mobility.
- A combination of occupational and psychological therapy may help patients adapt to the limitations imposed by the disease.
When to Call a Doctor
- Call a doctor immediately if you or your child develops symptoms of polio, or if you may have been exposed to the virus and have not yet been immunized.
- Make an appointment with your doctor to receive the polio vaccine if you have not been immunized and plan to travel where polio is common.
- EMERGENCY Call an ambulance if someone experiences breathing difficulty or develops paralysis in any of the limbs.
For more Johns Hopkins health information, please visit Johns Hopkins Health Alerts.
For medical appointments at Johns Hopkins, please call 866-386-1617.
All information contained within the Johns Hopkins Symptoms and Remedies website is intended for educational purposes only. Consumers should never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something they may have read on this website.
Copyright © 2008 Medletter Associates, LLC
Content excerpted from Johns Hopkins Symptoms and Remedies: The Complete Home Medical Reference.