Signs of Polio and Treatment for it

There are really no actual symptoms for 95% of Polio victims. But cases that do show symptoms are called symptomatic polio. In this form ofpolio there are three main illnesses that appear. One is called abortive Polio which is a mild form. There sickness is basically just a mild flu so most people with this type dont even really know they have it. A more serious form is called nonparalytic polio this is associated with aspetic meningitis with this form you get sensitivity to light and neck stiffness. A very sever case is called paralytic polio but this only occurs in every 0.1% to 0.2% of cases. People with abortive polio usually make a full recovery but it causes your muscles to become paralized and can result in death. Back then at the hieght of Polio they would place victims of the epidimic in a iron lung. In some countries iron lungs are still used.

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Polio of the Future

There are many groups an organizations working to find ways to permantely rid the world of Polio. One main organization that is working towards this is a Group know as WHO which stands for World Health Organization. Many significant strides have already been made from 1988 to 2004 cases of Polio has drasitcally declined. There are still a few countries out there that do still have Polio circulating around and could be reintroduced back to the other parts of the world. The world is still not completely safe from Polio so just make sure you and everyone you may know have been or will be getting vaccinated until Polio has been eliminated worldwide.

Preventing Polio

Usually in the United States it is recommend that children have four doses of a inactivated Polio vaccine. When you are or your child is between the ages of two months and six years. A oral vaccine that was created in 1964 which is known as OPV it is the most recommended vaccine. OPV has made it possible for large populations to be immunized since it is a easier way to administer. It has also provided contact immunization which is when an unimmunized person comes in contact with a recently immunized child might become immune, too. The main problem with OPV is that, in some cases, paralytic polio could develop either in a immunized child or in those who have come in contact with them. In an effort to get rid of all polio, including those cases associated with the vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decided to make IPV the only vaccine given in the United States. Currently, they and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend three spaced doses of IPV given before the age of 18 months, and an IPV booster given between the ages of 4 to 6, when children are entering school. Make sure that if you are planning on traveling outside of the country be sure to be vaccinated because in Africa and Asia polio still exists

Summary

By doing this research project on Polio I learned so much. I learned that polio is a dangerous disease that is contagious. It virtually eliminated people from the Western hemisphere in the second half of the 20th century. Nearly 60,000 cases with more than 3,000 deaths were reported in the United States alone. Im so happy I did this research project because I gained so much knowledge from this I found out that scientist an doctors are figuring out ways to limit the out brakes of polio all across the world. If the polio virus is imported into a country where not enough people have been immunized, there's the risk that it could spread from person to person. That's what has happened in some countries in Africa and Asia. So until it has been eliminated worldwide, it's important to continue vaccinating kids against polio. So hopefully by viewing my blog you can get a better understanding of Polio an I hope my blog has enlightened you all.

The History Of Polio

.1789-British physician Micheal Underwood provides the first clinical description of polio, referring to it as "debility of the lower extremities."


1894 - The first major polio epidemic reported in the United States occurs in Vermont, consisting of 132 total cases, including some adults.


1908 - Polio becomes a a reportable disease entity as Austrian physicians Karl Landsteiner and E. Popper identify the polio virus.


1916 - There is a large outbreak of polio in the United States. Though the total number of affected individuals is unknown, over 9000 cases are reported in New York City alone.


1921 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) contracts polio and is left with severe paralysis.


1932 - FDR is elected president of the United States. The first and only U. S. president to use a wheelchair, he successfully hides the extent of his disability from the American public throughout his presidency.


1934-There is a major outbreak of polio in Los Angeles. Nearly 2500 polio cases are treated from May through November of that year at Los Angeles County General Hospital alone.


1937 - FDR announces the creation of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.


1994 - China launches its first National Immunization Days, immunizing 80 million children! The entire Western Hemisphere is certified as "polio free."


2001 - 575 children vaccinated in 94 countries.