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first polio patient
1789, British physician Michael Underwood provides first clinical description of the disease. 1840, Jacob Heine describes the clinical features of the disease as well as its involvement of the spinal cord. 1894, first outbreak of polio in epidemic form in the U.S. occurs in Vermont, with 132 cases. -
the cause of polio
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease. It is caused by the polio virus. The virus spreads from person to person and can invade an infected person's brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis (can't move parts of the body). -
the daily symptoms of polio
Whole body: fatigue, feeling faint, fever, or wasting away
Muscular: muscle weakness, loss of muscle, or muscle quiver
Also common: headache, nausea, or slow growth -
development of polio
Polio vaccine developed. Although it had long been suspected that polio was an infectious disease, definitive proof only came in 1908, when Dr Karl Landsteiner and Dr Erwin Popper managed to induce polio in monkeys by injecting them with extracts of the spinal cord of a boy who had died from polio. -
two different vaccines
There are two types of vaccine that protect against polio: inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). IPV is given as an injection in the leg or arm, depending on the patient's age. Polio vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines. -
vaccine treatment
Both are generally safe to give during pregnancy and in those who have HIV/AIDS but are otherwise well. The first polio vaccine was the inactivated polio vaccine. It was developed by Jonas Salk and came into use in 1955. The oral polio vaccine was developed by Albert Sabin and came into commercial use in 1961. -
how polio is effecting people today
Thanks to effective vaccine, the United States has been polio-free since 1979. But poliovirus is still a threat in some countries. Be part of the success story and get your child vaccinated on schedule. Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease.
