1. Poliomyelitis
By:
Neal T. Gregus

2. What is Poliomyelitis
 Poliomyelitis is caused by the Poliovirus
 Poliovirus= form of Enterovirus that affects
humans, mammals.
 Enteroviruses: spread primarily through the
fecal-oral route (contact with feces somehow)
 Children at highest risk.
 Symptoms appear similar to common cold:
difficult to diagnose early on.

3. History Of Polio
 Ancient Egypt  England- Michael Underwood- 1789
 “debility of lower extremities”>”HeineMedin disease”>”infantile paralysis”
 Due to propensity to more commonly affect
children

4. Causes & Transmission
 More prevalent in warmer climates/ summer
 Transmitted through fecal-oral route.
 Most cases- Parent-to-Child due to close proximity,
also unsanitary water.
 Temporarily inhabits gastrointestinal tract, due to how
contracted
 Highly contagious during incubation period (6-20
days)

5. Effects of Transmission
o 95% cases- Asymptomatic
o 4%-8%- non-paralytic aseptic meningitis
o 1%- Paralytic Polio: 3 types
o Spinal (PV1), Bulbospinal (PV2), Bulbar (PV3)
o Spinal- most closely associated w/ paralysis
o 1/200 cases paralytic
o 1/1,000 infant cases & 1/75 adult cases of polio.

6. Outbreaks & Outcomes
 First global outbreaks: 1900’s- caused by increase
sanitation.
 Previous - common to contract Poliovirus as child
but not see side-effects - latent immunization
through constant exposure created immunity
boost.
 Increased populations allowed greater spread of
infection.

7. Outbreaks & Outcomes Cont’d.
 Infection age rose:
 6 months- 4 yrs > 5-9 yrs.
 Greater amount of paralytic polio due to age.
 No prevalent hereditary links/suseptibility
differences = difficult to diagnose
 No vaccine developed
 Wreaked havoc for 1st half of 20th Century

8. Race for a Cure
 Increased Polio outbreaks forced need for a cure.
 President Roosevelt- contracted Paralytic polio in
mid 20’s. Founds National Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis in 1938.
 World War II = on hold.
 1952- greatest U.S. outbreak on record
 58,000 reported cases
 22,000 paralyzed & 4,000 killed.
 1955: Salk & Sabin discover vaccines

9. Effects of Vaccination
 Vaccination reported near 100% immunity
 The WHO (World Health Organization) set
out for global eradication in 1988.
 350,000 cases in 1988 > 1,310 cases in 2007
 99% decrease
 Job not done
 Still exists in India, Nigeria, Afghanistan,
Pakistan.

10. Where is the Future of
Polio?
• Difficulty in eradication caused by:
• Re-infection from unvaccinated
countries (25 from 2003-2005).
• Civil War in Countries
• Religious beliefs.
• Threat of future endemic as virus still
exists as long as polio exists anywhere in
world.