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Oct 24, 2023 · WHO fact sheet on poliomyelitis, a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. The fact sheet includes key facts, global caseload, Global Eradication Initiative, progress, WHO response.
Overview. More. Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under 5 years of age. The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g. contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can ...
Apr 3, 2024 · Polio, acute viral infectious disease of the nervous system that has no known cure but can be prevented by a vaccine. Since the 1960s, thanks to widespread use of polio vaccines, polio has been eliminated from most of the world. Learn about the cause, symptoms, prevention, and history of polio.
Sep 17, 2018 · What is polio? Polio (also known as poliomyelitis) is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. Children younger than 5 years old...
Previous generations of Americans had reason to fear poliomyelitis, most often called polio. The disease, which is spread by a virus, can cause paralysis. The disease is now rare in the U.S. because of a vaccine against the virus. However, polio still exists in a few countries.
Jan 5, 2023 · Health care providers often recognize polio by symptoms, such as neck and back stiffness or abnormal reflexes or muscle weakness. To confirm the diagnosis, a lab test of a stool sample can detect the poliovirus. The virus can be found in a throat sample only during the first week of illness.
Oct 27, 2023 · Home / Newsroom / Questions and answers / Poliomyelitis. 27 October 2023 | Q&A. Does polio still exist? Is it curable? Polio does still exist, although polio cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988, from an estimated more than 350 000 cases in more than 125 endemic countries, to just two endemic countries (as of October 2023.
