The polio virus has been discovered in the wastewater of New York City, which is yet another indication that the disease, which hasn't been reported in the country in a decade, is covertly spreading among the unprotected, according to health officials on Friday. According to health officials from the city, New York State, and the federal government, the poliovirus was found in the wastewater of the city, indicating that the virus is probably circulated locally. Parents were advised by the authorities to immunize their kids against the possibly fatal illness.
During the struggle of continuous waves of covid and then the monkeypox, this polio case has make everyone threatened as this is the first case of the polio detected in the US after nearly a decade. This thing became more concerning when another case was detected in the sewage of London.
It was 20th August 1994 when America was officially certified polio free and in 2003 UK was set polio free. Since 2022 Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only two countries when polio was an endemic, remaining other countries were certified polio free. So the talk on the polio , it's virus , systems seen after getting polio ,it's diagnosis, cure and prevention were not talked much. After its reoccurrence world is in fear so let's know about polio.
What is polio ?
The poliovirus is the cause of polio, also known as poliomyelitis, which can sometimes be fatal and be disabled. Anyone who is unvaccinated can catch the illness, which primarily affects newborns and children under the age of 5. Polio has no known treatment, although mass immunization has shown to be a successful preventive measure. The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis (can’t move parts of the body).
Variants of polio virus?
The three poliovirus variants are known as wild poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3. (WPV1, WPV2 and WPV3). Only a few regions of the world still have wild polio type 1, and wild polio types 2 and 3 have been eradicated (no longer exist). Polio type 1 is most likely to cause paralysis
Depending upon where the virus attacks and multiples in the body there are different types of polio.
I) paralytic polio :- This type of polio happens when the virus attacks brain and the spinal cord.The muscles that allow you to breathe, speak, swallow, and move your limbs can become paralyzed by it. It is referred to as spinal polio or bulbar polio, depending on which areas of your body are afflicted. Together, spinal and bulbar polio can develop bulbospinal polio. Only 1% of polio patients develop paralytic poliomyelitis.
Symptoms of paralytic polio
Comparable to abortive or non-paralytic poliomyelitis, paralytic poliomyelitis initially presents with similar symptoms. Days or weeks later, other symptoms, including:
--> The capacity for touch.
-->Muscles cramping.
In addition
--> You are unable to move either or both of your arms or legs because to spinal poliomyelitis (paralysis).
--> Speaking, swallowing, and breathing are made difficult by bulbar poliomyelitis.
--> Both bulbar and spinal polio symptoms are present in bulbospinal poliomyelitis.
II) Non paralytic polio:- This may cause meningitis (An infection of the meninges is known as meningitis. Around the brain and spinal cord are the meninges, which provide as protection. Meningitis comes in three primary varieties. Fever, a headache, and a stiff neck can be brought on by any sort. Meningitis can be fatal or extremely serious.)
Symptoms of non paralytic polio
The identical signs and symptoms of abortive poliomyelitis precede non-paralytic poliomyelitis. Within a few days, other symptoms such as:
--> A stiff neck.
--> Your legs and arms may be in pain or feel pinched.
--> A terrible headache
--> Responsiveness to light (photophobia).
III) Absorptive polio :-It results in intestinal and flu-like symptoms. It doesn't have long-lasting effects and just lasts a few days.
Symptoms of absorptive polio
Many different disorders have symptoms with abortive poliomyelitis. After contracting the infection, they begin three to seven days later and last a few days. Abortive poliomyelitis has the following symptoms:
--> Fatigue.
--> Fever.
--> Headache.
--> Vomiting.
--> Both constipation and diarrhea.
--> Painful throat
IV) Polioencephalitis:- This rare type of polio only affects infants and this causes brain swelling.
Symptoms of Polioencephalitis
Polioencephalitis symptoms can appear alone or in combination with flu-like symptoms. These signs include:
-->Extreme weariness (fatigue).
--> Anxiety.
--> Trouble concentrating
--> Seizures.
V) post polio syndrome:- symptoms that occurs after a year of polio infection.
Symptoms of polio
The symptoms of polio are very rare and many people don't develop any symptoms at all. According to some data seventy two percent of the victims are asymptomatic.
A quarter of people who are sick have flu-like symptoms, but these are more commonly caused by the stomach flu than by the common cold. People can still spread polio for three or more weeks even if symptoms including a sore throat, fever, lethargy, nausea, headaches, and stomach discomfort often remain for three to seven days.
Those who get polio are more likely to experience brain and spinal cord problems. Some of those persons could feel a tingling, frequently characterized as pins and needles, in their legs. In addition, meningitis, which involves swelling of the membranes that surround the brain, spinal cord, or both, may develop in around one in every 25 individuals.
In one in 200 polio survivors, the arms, legs, or both are paralyzed or feeble. Usually, one side of the body is paralyzed. Polio-related paralysis can occasionally be fatal because the infection can impair the muscles that support breathing. Even after polio has been treated, a person may experience muscle aches, weakness, or paralysis 15 to 40 years later. Post-polio syndrome, which manifests as muscle weakness, exhaustion, and joint pain in adults, can develop decades after the initial infection in children who recover from polio. Although the exact cause of post-polio syndrome is unknown, persons who had severe polio episodes may be more vulnerable.
Transmission of polio
Polio is highly contagious. It commonly spreads when someone touches their mouth after coming into contact with the excrement of an infected individual. Children under the age of five should be especially concerned since they might have trouble keeping their hands clean. "Every adult who has children is aware of this method of germ transmission. Less frequently, polio can be transmitted when saliva or snot from an infected individual gets into someone else's mouth. Similar to Covid-19, it is also possible for the virus to spread even in the absence of symptoms.
Prior to the onset of symptoms and for up to two weeks afterward, an infected person can transmit the virus to others. The virus can remain active in the intestines of an infected person for several weeks. In unhygienic settings, it can contaminate food and water. Even those who are symptom-free can spread the virus to infect others.
Protection against polio
The most effective defense against polio is vaccination, which is why it is routinely administered to children around the world. And in the past, these vaccine campaigns helped to nearly wipe out the virus worldwide. And it's a good news for us that we are living in the era of highly advanced vaccines.
There are two types of vaccines that can help to prevent polio:-
I) Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) given as an injection in the leg or arm, depending on the patient’s age. Only IPV has been used in the United States since 2000.
II) Oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is still used throughout much of the world.
Polio vaccine protects children by getting their bodies ready to fight the poliovirus. The inactivated polio vaccine will provide nearly universal (more than 99%) protection against polio in kids who receive all of the advised doses. Additionally, it's crucial to keep your hands clean and to do frequent, thorough hand washing with soap and water. Keep in mind that alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not eradicate the poliovirus.
Diagnosis of polio
When medical professionals suspect a patient has polio, they should admit the patient right away, perform a physical examination, obtain a detailed medical history, including information on any recent travel and vaccinations, collect samples (stool, throat swab, blood, urine, and spinal fluid), and order an MRI to view images of the spinal cord. Stool samples are the ones most likely to contain poliovirus.
Comments
Post a Comment