Once one of the most feared diseases in the United States, polio can cause paralysis, respiratory problems and death. Polio caused the death of 3,000 citizens in the United States in the year 1952, but by the end of that decade it had gotten under control. However, it still remains a threat around the world. This article will focus its attention on the cause of polio and offer some other facts about the disease that used to be known as infantile paralysis.
Features
Polio is caused by a virus that only is found living in human beings. It is spread from person to person through what is known as the fecal-oral route. Contact with the stool of someone infected with polio will transmit the disease. In regions of the world where sanitary conditions are sub par, polio is a real threat. Food and water contaminated by polio and then ingested will cause the disease, as will direct physical contact with someone who has polio or has been recently vaccinated for it.
Time Frame
It is possible for people with polio virus to spread the malady for a week to 10 days before they come down with the symptoms. After that they are contagious for polio for a time frame of 3 to 6 weeks. People with polio are at their most contagious a week to 10 days after they begin to exhibit the symptoms of it. After being exposed to polio virus, it takes a while to begin to show the symptoms, as the virus multiplies in the throat, nose, and intestines. The timetable for the polio vaccine to prevent the disease is shots at 2, 4, and from 6 to 18 months followed by a booster shot when the person is 4 to 6 years of age.
