POLIO – Causes, Diagnosis, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
POLIO – Here are the types, causes, symptoms, treatment and preventive measures in battling against this paralytic disease called polio.
Definition
Also known as poliomyelitis, or generally infantile paralysis, it’s a type of infectious disease which causes muscle weakness, rendering the infected unable to move. It occurs from a few hours to a few days. It usually affects the legs and less on the head, neck, and diapragm (below the lungs).
Cause
This disease is caused by a poliovirus, which is a member virus of Enterovirus C in the Picornaviridae family. The virus. The virus can be transmitted through a fecal-oral (where unsanitized materials went inside the mouth) and the oral-oral routes.
Types
- Paralytic – General type where the spine, bulbar and bulbospinal is affected.
- Spinal – only the spine is affected
- Bulbar – affects the bulbar region of the brain stem.
- Bulbospinal – affects the upper part of the spine and the diaphragm.
Diagnosis
- Stool Test
- Via swab from the pharynx
- Oligonucleotide mapping (genetic fingerprinting)
- Lumbar puncture (Spinal tap)
- PCR amplification
Prevention and Treatment
- Passive Immunization
- Vaccine (OPV in the Philippines where the infant takes three doses of OPV)
- No treatment as of the moment
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