Polio – causes, symptoms & therapy

Polio or poliomyelitis is a viral disease in which the pathogens attack the spinal cord. In the most severe cases, polio leads to paralysis and death. Because of the available vaccine, the risk of contracting polio is extremely low.

There are currently only three countries in the world that are still reporting acute cases. These include Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Up until 2011, India was also battling polio cases. However, as of January 2011, there have been no reports of new cases.

causes

Due to the causative agent, the polio virus, polio occurs. The polioviruses belong to the RNA viruses that come from the group of picornaviruses. The doctor distinguishes the viruses into types I, II and III. Polio is a highly contagious disease. Transmission occurs through fecal-oral transmission. This means that the sick person excretes the virus through the stool and another person comes into contact with it orally.Transmission often occurs through drinks or food contaminated with the virus. Polio transmission is often compared to hepatitis A. An infection that occurs via droplets – this means that the pathogens are passed on by coughing , sneezing or kissing – is relatively low. The incubation period is between three and 35 days.

symptoms and course

Typical symptoms of polio:

• Fever

• headache

• body aches

• nausea

• Diarrhea

• loss of appetite

• difficulties swallowing

The first symptoms of polio usually appear between the sixth and ninth day of infection. The patient initially complains of fever, severe headaches and body aches. The infected person also suffers from nausea, has no appetite and complains of severe diarrhea. Other symptoms can include a sore throat and difficulty swallowing.

In the second phase, after the pathogens have attacked the central nervous system, the patient complains of fever and stiff neck. The patient also suffers from severe back pain, feels an increased sensitivity to stimuli and feels muscle pain. At the beginning of the infection, the disease takes a symptom-free course. This means that the classic symptoms of fever, body aches or nausea are often associated with the symptoms of a flu infection .

Polio, which – as the name suggests – involves paralysis, is relatively rare. If the patient falls ill with “classic polio”, the mortality rate is up to 20 percent; Patients who feel signs of paralysis right from the start suffer – after the healing process – from residual paralysis to 50 percent. There is also Post Polio Syndrome (PPS), which occurs after the disease is cured. PPS often develops years after the illness. The patient complains of a feeling of weakness, suffers from muscle wasting and feels permanently exhausted.

Diagnose

First and foremost, the doctor makes the diagnosis of polio by means of the symptoms; on the other hand, he also finds evidence of the pathogen, which gives the doctor the clarity of polio. At the beginning of the disease, the diagnosis is still relatively difficult. This is because the classic symptoms after infection can certainly be associated with a flu-like infection.

Even clear paralysis that occurs due to polio is not always proof that it is actually polio. Finally, similar symptoms also occur with tick-borne encephalitis , diphtheria , Coxsackie or ECHO virus infections, as well as neuritis and Guillian-Barré syndrome. This means that the doctor has to make the differential diagnosis and acts according to the process of elimination.

If the second phase of the disease occurs, the physician has the option of diagnosing the polio disease with the help of a CSF examination. Ultimately, the inflammation can only be detected in the cerebrospinal fluid. This manifests itself mainly through normal glucose values ​​with a simultaneously increased protein value . However, in order to achieve a 100% diagnosis, the doctor must detect the virus in the blood. This means that he has to isolate the virus from either the throat secretion, the stool or the cerebrospinal fluid in order to make an accurate diagnosis.

complications

Since there is a vaccination against polio, this disease usually no longer occurs and there are no special complications. This disease is therefore very rare. However, those affected suffer from severe paralysis, which can occur in different parts of the body. Body aches and headaches also occur and are accompanied by diarrhea and loss of appetite. The affected children also suffer from nausea and severe back pain .

In serious cases, the paralysis can remain even after treatment for polio, so that the person concerned is extremely restricted in his everyday life. If the polio is not treated, in the worst case it can even lead to the death of the patient. Limbs that have been paralyzed are usually also affected by a growth disorder and only grow more slowly.

In most cases, polio can be treated relatively well with the help of medication and bed rest. There are no particular complications. In most cases, the course of the disease is positive and the life expectancy of the child is not reduced by the disease.

treatment and therapy

When treating polio, the physician’s primary goal is to treat or relieve the symptoms. It is not possible to treat the cause itself. This means that there are currently no drugs that can be used to combat the polio virus.Classic therapies and treatments are strict bed rest. Strict bed rest is prescribed at the slightest suspicion of polio. Muscle-relaxing positioning should also be carried out if the patient complains of paralysis occurring. Physical therapy is another part of treatment for polio.

prevention

The only – and best – prevention is vaccination against polio. The vaccine has already made polio extinct or eradicated in many countries. Since 1998 there has no longer been an oral vaccination in Germany; Children are treated with the vaccine IPV – the inactivated polio vaccine. The doctor administers this vaccine by means of an injection. There are currently no other measures to prevent polio.