POLIOMYELITIS

Poliomyelitis also known as polio is a contagious disease caused by a virus that attack the nervous system. The virus are likely found in children younger than 5 years old. Polio virus is sometimes transmitted from one person to the other through fecal matter. The virus remain in areas with limited access to running water or flush toilets and people living in such areas get the virus from drinking water contaminated by human Waste. Also, the virus can be spread by contaminated food or direct contact with another person. The virus is most susceptible to pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems and young children. The different types of polio includes: * Sub- clinical: This form of polio does not affect the central nervous system. It symptoms may not be noticeable and if there are any, they last for 72 hours or less and they include headache, sore, red throat, slight fever, committing and general discomfort. *Non-paralytic: This form affect the central nervous system but does not result in paralyses. It symptoms may last for couple of days and up to a week or two. Coupled with the symptoms of sub- clinical polio, it has other symptoms that include; problems swallowing and breathing, back and neck pain, arm and leg pain and abnormal. *Paralytic: This is the most serious and rarest form of polio. It produces full and partial paralyses in the patient. Here the symptoms of non-paralytic polio appears first and later on the other symptoms like severe spasms and muscle pain, loss of reflexes, loose and floppy limbs, sudden paralyses and deformed limbs. Full paralyses can develop but it is a rare case. * Post polio syndrome is the complications that occurs after a person has caught and recovered from poliomyelitis. Some of its symptoms contain continuing muscle and joint weakness, fatigue, trouble breathing or swallowing etc. The best way to prevent polio is to get vaccinated, keep our environment clean, avoid contaminated food and water and equally avoid and take precautions when travelling to polio contaminated zones. poliomyelitis has no cure but doctors can only treat the symptoms while the infection run its cure.