Submitted by: Brenda Williams

Infantile paralysis, also known as polio, is a disease that affects the spinal cord and the legs of human beings. The disease is an acute viral infectious disease that can be spread and is usually spread from person to person via the fecal-oral route. Polio usually leads to the atrophy of one or both legs and in some severe cases can lead to paralysis. If a leg becomes atrophied the patient will need to use a cane, crutches, a walker or a wheelchair to move around. Most cases do not cause paralysis and the most common cases are spinal polio.

Infantile paralysis was first documented by Jakob Heine in 1840. In 1908, Karl Landsteiner identified the cause of polio, the poliovirus. Polio became a feared epidemic in the early 20th century as it was striking, paralyzing and killing hundreds of children worldwide. The majority of polio epidemics happened in large cities during the summer months when the air was hot, humid and sticky. The polio vaccines were invented by Jonas Salk in 1952 and Albert Sabin in 1962. These two scientists are widely credited for saving hundreds of thousands of lives with their inventive vaccines. There is a slight possibility that the disease could be completely eradicated across the world because of the efforts of the World Health Organization, UNICEF and Rotary International. These three groups are pulling out all the stops when it comes to educating the public about polio and ways to get vaccinated against the crippling disease.

The majority of polio cases result in only a temporary paralysis. The temporary paralysis usually lasts for a month or longer though. The paralysis disappears when nerve impulses return to the formerly paralyzed area. Recovery from polio usually takes about a full six to eight months. If paralysis lasts for more than a month and any longer than one year it is more than likely a permanent paralysis.

As of the 21st century there is no known cure for polio. All doctors can do is administer preventative vaccines and treat the condition if it does strike a person. The treatment process is to provide relief, speed up the recovery process and most importantly, prevent any further complications of the disease. Antibiotics are administered to patients with polio to prevent infection within the weakened areas, analgesics are administered for pain and moderate exercise along with a nutritious diet are other forms of treatment.

The two known vaccines, from Salk and Sabin, are the two most prominent vaccines for polio around today. Salk s vaccines, known as inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), is given to the patient via injection. Sabin s vaccine, known as oral polio vaccine (OPV), is administered orally to the patient.

As of a study conducted in 2006, there are only four countries left in the world where polio is still considered an endemic. Those four countries are Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Nigeria. With the efforts of the WHO, UNICEF and Rotary International; the world could see complete eradication of the disease within the next 100 years.

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