Polio


 * //POLIO, often called Poliomyelitis scientifically. 小兒麻痺症、 //**//**소아 마비 [[image:Unknown.jpeg width="158" height="108" align="right"]]**//

=//It's contagious, devastating , dangerous. //= =//It's a disease which has plagued and killed millions of humans. //= == **What is polio?** Polio is a dangerous, contagious viral disease which can lead to paralysis or death.

**What causes polio?** The infection of polioviruses

**How is polio transmitted?** Poliovirus enters the faeces of someone who's infected, then it lives in the intestinal tract and mucus in the nose and throat.


 * What happens if I have polio? **You may suffer from feet and ankle deformities, paralysis, severe disabilities or death!

**How do people get infected?** 1. In contact with faeces(poop) of an infected person, known as the fecal-oral transmission. (Frequently) <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">2. In contact with infected saliva or respiratory secretions, known as the oral-oral transmission. (Less frequently)

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">**What are the TWO MAIN types of polio?** <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">1.Non paralytic polio (won't lead to paralysis, infection is mild.) <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">2.Paralytic polio (may lead to muscle paralysis, deformities of ankles and feet, severe disabilities or even death!)

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">**What are the signs and symptoms of Polio?** Most of the patients do not show any symptoms or signs. However, some patients do get fever, sore throats and diarrhea.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">**What is the medicine to cure it?** There are no specific medicine for polio. However, painkillers are used when the infection is mild.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">**Who gets polio?** Very young children, pregnant woman and those who have no been immunized against polio.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">**What is polio transmitted through?** It's transmitted through contaminated food, swimming pool water, drinking water and faeces.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">**How can I prevent it?** The most effective way is polio vaccine, whereas careful personal hygiene and improved public sanitation w <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">ill <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">reduce the spread of polio too! <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">**Which countries are still suffering from polio nowadays?** Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">**Treatments of polio?** <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">1. Moderate physical exercises can prevent loss or deformities of muscles <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">2. A nutritious diet <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">3. Bed rest


 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Hungry for more? Click on this icon to know more about polio! **

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Information above can be found in:

Mayo Clinic. (2011) Disease and Conditions. (21/8/11) from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/polio/DS00572

Arthur Schoenstadt, MD (2008) Poliovirus. (21/8/11) from http://polio.emedtv.com/poliovirus/poliovirus.html

Kids Heath. (n.d.). Polio. (22/8/11) from http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/polio.html

Dr. Orlena Kerek. (2009) BBC - Health: Polio. (22/8/11) from http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/polio1.shtml

Mary Westbrook. (1998) Types, Kinds Categories of Polio. (21/8/11) from http://www.skally.net/ppsc/type.htm

NHS choices. (2009) Polio And Post-Polio Syndrome. (22/8/11) from http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Polio-and-post-polio-syndrome-/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Nelda Lee. (2008) The 3 types of polio. (20/8/11) from http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=601740

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">From this wiki page, I hope you will now know more about polio and ways to prevent them. Below is a short video about a small American team traveling to India and they have helped immunized children with polio vaccinations. Hope you enjoy the video, Thankyou :)


 * Written by Uncle Samuel Pang in 9.4**

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">**22/8/11**