What is polio?

What is polio?
Polio refers to a disease caused by poliovirus infection of the human body that invades the spinal cord. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and weakness. Irreversible muscle atrophy occurs during the sequelae.

What is polio?

Polioviruses are transmitted through the fecal-hand-mouth contamination pathway. It may also spread through the pharynx during the epidemic. The virus enters through the oral route, during which the virus infects the mouth, nose and throat cells. 90% to 95% of poliovirus infections are asymptomatic, with a 7 to 14 day incubation period during which the virus replicates primaryly in the lymphoid tissues of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. As the virus spreads throughout the body's reticuloendothelial tissue, asymptomatic first (slight) transient viremia occurs.

Can polio be cured?
There is no specific drug for polio, and it can only relieve symptoms by symptomatic treatment. Mild polio may have no sequelae. But if the sequelae occur, it is irreversible.



Does polio have sequelae?
Polio has a life-threatening, irreversible sequela. It is characterized by muscle atrophy and weakness of the limbs.

Is polio common?
Due to the promotion of "polished polio" by WHO. Poliomyelitis is already very rare in cases where the population is widely vaccinated against polio. There are only 74 cases of infection worldwide in 2015. However, there are still wild virus strains in nature. At the same time, there is also the possibility of importing viruses from abroad. Regular vaccination of children can prevent the occurrence of polio.

What are the symptoms of polio?
Muscle weakness manifestations can vary from one muscle or group of muscles to quadriplegia and respiratory failure. The reduction in muscle tone is almost always asymmetrical. The proximal muscle is usually more affected than the distal muscle, and the leg is more often affected than the arm. The reflection weakens or disappears. Feeling checks are almost always normal.

Usually the weakness of muscle weakness lasts for 2 to 3 days, but sometimes the process of muscle weakness can progress for up to 1 week. 5% to 35% of patients may have medullary involvement, leading to difficulty swallowing, dysarthria, and difficulty in handling secretions. Encephalitis may occur and usually occurs in babies. Respiratory insufficiency may also occur.

The initial symptoms are fever and diarrhea, similar to common gastroenteritis. However, there will be limb weakness and even paralysis. In severe cases, the weakness of the respiratory muscles may cause life-threatening. After the limbs were unable to recover, the lucky ones recovered completely.

However, approximately 2/3 of the patients with weak limbs have sequelae. Because of the irreversible destruction of neurons, sequelae include persistent muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, pain, joint instability, and difficulty breathing.

What are the common causes?
Caused by poliovirus infection in humans. The patient's stool contains a large amount of virus that can spread through the digestive tract, and can also spread the virus while in close contact.

Which children are prone to appear?
Unvaccinated populations are at high risk. Exposure to polio patients is also a high risk factor because polio can spread from person to person and the patient is the source of infection.

When is it easy to appear?
Symptoms appeared 7 to 14 days after exposure to poliovirus. The virus incubation period is about 7 to 14 days.

What tests are needed to suspect polio?
The suspected presence of polio is that under 15 years of age, limb paralysis occurs for unknown reasons. Stool specimens need to be taken for virus analysis. Cerebrospinal fluid examination, spinal MRI, head MRI, electromyography, blood routine, biochemical examination.

Why do you want to do these checks? What is the use of these checks?
Stool specimens for virus analysis: look for viruses.

Cerebrospinal fluid examination: Identify whether there are infections caused by other pathogens. Determine if there is inflammation in the brain.

Spinal MRI, skull MRI: Determine the state of neuronal involvement.

Electromyography: The difference between sputum and muscle disease.

Blood routine, biochemistry: to determine the basic situation of the body.

What are the complications of polio?
In the acute phase, the sequelae of respiratory failure are mainly caused by muscle weakness. Because of muscle atrophy and activity disorders, there are often symptoms such as depression, fatigue, sleep problems, and pain that affect quality of life.

Polio needs to see that subject?
Pediatric medicine, infection department.

How is polio treated?
Symptomatic supportive care, due to the occurrence of polio has been very rare. During the hospitalization period, the various examinations will be improved to determine the cause. While avoiding respiratory failure caused by muscle weakness, you may need to use a ventilator to keep your body absorbing oxygen. At the same time, keep all vital signs stable.

Need to review after leaving the hospital?
Since the sequelae of polio continue for life, once polio is diagnosed, regular follow-up is required and an individualized treatment plan is adopted.

Will polio relapse?
Will not relapse. But the nerve damage caused is irreversible.

What should polio patients pay attention to in life?
No special taboos are required for diet. If you have difficulty eating, you can choose soft and nutritious food.

Because patients with sequelae have various muscle atrophy, they can help patients to live better through non-invasive ventilators, orthopedic devices, wheelchairs and other external means. At the same time, individualized use of drugs can help patients reduce pain and increase comfort.

Can polio be prevented?
Infection can be avoided by vaccination against polio. The polio vaccine is free of vaccination. Vaccination started at 2 months of age, a total of 3 times, and intensive vaccination at 4 years of age. The current vaccination program is that the 2 month old vaccination is an inactivated vaccination and the next three are oral attenuated live vaccines.