There is no cure/treatment for the poliovirus, there is only alleviation of symptoms and prevention. Alleviation The alleviation of pain during the acute phase involves things like pain relieving drugs. If respiratory failure occurs it may require artificial ventilation. Physical therapy is required to diminish the crippling deformities and retrain muscles after the acute febrile phase subsides. There have been some risk factors identified for increasing the likelihood of paralysis in an infected person, although the cause is still unknown. The risk factors include things like: immune deficiency,pregnancy,removal of the tonsils (tonsillectomy),intramuscular injections, e.g. medications,strenuous exercise and injury. Prevention
Vaccination as early in life as possible is the main form of prevention. This is usually about four doses starting as early as two months in age. In the United States the recommendation is that children receive the dose at two months, four months and two more times before entering school.This almost always protects a child for life. There are two forms of vaccination. Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine and Oral Poliovirus Vaccine. The oral vaccine was commonly used for many years because of its ease of administration, however, it came with medical complications. The oral vaccine contains attenuated virus that can multiply and be spread to others. For this reason, the Inactivate Poliovirus Vaccine is used in the United States. http://www.polioeradication.org/Polioandprevention/Thevaccines/Inactivatedpoliovaccine(IPV).aspx, http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/history-polio-poliomyelitis and book |
Vaccine Spotlight
The oral polio vaccine (OPV) was developed by Albert Sabin in the 1960's. The OPV is an attenuated virus that can multiple and be spread to others. The attenuated virus reverts to a strand known as "neurovirulent" and causes the disease rather than preventing it. The Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) was developed by Jonas Salk in 1954. It is a killed strained of all three viruses. It must be administered by a health professional as it is an intramuscular injection. |