childhood diseases -
polio

Poliomyelitis is an infectious viral disease affecting the central nervous system. The virus is found in the faeces (poo) of an infected person, so the disease is most common where sanitation is poor.

Symptoms start 7 - 12 days after infection. There are three different types of polio:

1. Abortive poliomyelitis – where only the throat and intestines (guts) are affected, and the symptoms are those of a stomach upset or flu.

2. Non-paralytic poliomyelitis – where the stomach upset and flu are accompanied by muscle stiffness, particularly in your child’s back and neck.

3. Paralytic polio – this is very serious but much less common and occurs in 2% of polio cases. Your child would suffer the symptoms as above, but then he would suffer from weakness and eventual paralysis. 5 – 10% of paralytic polio cases could lead to death. A related disease is bulbar poliomyelitis, when breathing is affected.

What is the treatment for polio?

There is no specific treatment apart from measures to relieve the symptoms.