Poliomyelitis
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Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route. The term derives from the Greek ( ), meaning "grey", ( ), referring to the "spinal cord", and the suffix -itis, which denotes inflammation. Although around 90% of polio infections cause no symptoms at all, affected individuals can exhibit a range of symptoms if the virus enters the blood stream. In about 1% of cases the virus enters the central nervous system, preferentially infecting and destroying motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness and acute flaccid paralysis. Different types of paralysis may occur, depending on the nerves involved. Spinal polio is the most common form, characterized by asymmetric paralysis that most often involves the legs. Bulbar polio leads to weakness of muscles innervated by cranial nerves. Bulbospinal polio is a combination of bulbar and spinal paralysis.

Poliomyelitis was first recognized as a distinct condition by Jakob Heine in 1840. Its causative agent, poliovirus, was identified in 1908 by Karl Landsteiner. Although major polio epidemics were unknown before the late 19th century, polio was one of the most dreaded childhood diseases of the 20th century. Polio epidemics have crippled thousands of people, mostly young children; the disease has caused paralysis and death for much of human history. Polio had existed for thousands of years quietly as an endemic pathogen until the 1880s, when major epidemics began to occur in Europe; soon after, widespread epidemics appeared in the United States. By 1910, much of the world experienced a dramatic increase in polio cases and frequent epidemics became regular events, primarily in cities during the summer months. These epidemics-which left thousands of children and adults paralyzed-provided the impetus for a "Great Race" towards the development of a vaccine. Developed in the 1950s, polio vaccines are credited with reducing the global number of polio cases per year from many hundreds of thousands to around a thousand. Enhanced vaccination efforts led by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and Rotary International could result in global eradication of the disease.

Latest News : Poliomyelitis : Tweet this RSS

WHO confirms lack of poliomyelitis in Turkmenistan - Trend News Agency Tweet this news
Trend News Agency---...- Ministry and the European Bureau of the World Health Organization (WHO) assessed preventive measures keep Turkmenistan a -poliomyelitis--free company. ... - Date : Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:56:49 GMT+00:00
Afghanistan holds Child Health - The Voice of Russia Tweet this news
The Voice of Russia--800 medical brigades will vaccinate Afghan kids against tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis, -poliomyelitis- and a number of other dangerous ... - Date : Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:53:04 GMT+00:00
Health minister at polio eradication meeting - AngolaPress Tweet this news
AngolaPress---...- is attending Friday in (Geneva), Switzerland, a meeting that will check the results achieved under the -poliomyelitis- eradication effort in the world, ... - Date : Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:13:17 GMT+00:00
Journal Urges WHO to Take Action against Polio Outburst - TopNews United States Tweet this news
TopNews United States--According to the editors, Tajikistan is the first unrelenting outburst of -poliomyelitis- in the world in a formerly certified polio-free region. ... - Date : Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:09:45 GMT+00:00
Hot And Cold Therapy Packs - Global Market Trends - New Market Report Published - OfficialWire (press release) Tweet this news
OfficialWire (press release)--by Press Office Hot & cold therapy packs market encompasses products that address problems of arthritis, cold tumors, -poliomyelitis-, pelvic diseases, ... - Date : Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:53:22 GMT+00:00
Luanda Government to extend school network - AngolaPress Tweet this news
AngolaPress--The governor urged for the need of the government organs and families involvement to eradicate -poliomyelitis- by this year.--- - Date : Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:39:40 GMT+00:00
National Poliomyelitis Campaign opens in Bie - AngolaPress Tweet this news
AngolaPress--Katabola - The Angolan deputy Health minister, Evelize Frestas, opened the National -Poliomyelitis- Vaccination Campaign Friday in Katabola district, ... - Date : Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:59:25 GMT+00:00
The Bumpy Road to Polio Eradication - New England Journal of Medicine (subscription) Tweet this news
New England Journal of Medicine (subscription)--by Mohammed, AJ by Jenkins, HE The existence of -poliomyelitis- in the developing world was ignored for many years because epidemic polio was considered a ... - Date : Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:06:47 GMT+00:00
Over 48000 children vaccinated on first day of campaign - AngolaPress Tweet this news
AngolaPress--Huambo - At least 48981 children under five years of age were vaccinated Friday against -poliomyelitis- in the central Huambo province, in a campaign which ... - Date : Sat, 12 Jun 2010 11:40:27 GMT+00:00
4200 Tajik children inoculated against poliomyelitis in Russia - ITAR-TASS Tweet this news
ITAR-TASS--MOSCOW, June 10 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia has vaccinated some 4200 Tajik children staying in Russia against -poliomyelitis-, Russia's chief sanitary official ... - Date : Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:48:17 GMT+00:00

Outcomes of poliovirus infection
Outcome Proportion of cases
Asymptomatic 90 � 95%
Minor illness 4 � 8%
Non-paralytic aseptic
meningitis		 1 � 2%
Paralytic poliomyelitis 0.1 � 0.5%
79% of paralytic cases
19% of paralytic cases
2% of paralytic cases



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