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Polio

Medical Author: David Perlstein, MD, FAAP
Medical Editor: Charles Davis, MD, PhD

What is the history of polio?

Polio is caused by a virus and has been around for thousands of years. There are even Egyptian artifacts portraying individuals with typical features of post-polio paralysis. Polio has been called many different names, including infantile paralysis, debility of the lower extremities, and spinal paralytic paralysis. We now refer to the virus and disease as polio, which is short for poliomyelitis and has Greek derivation: polios (gray), myelos (marrow), and itis (inflammation).

Polio is caused by a very infectious enterovirus, poliovirus (PV), which primarily affects young children and is spread through direct person-to-person contact, with infected mucus, phlegm, feces, or by contact with food and water contaminated by feces of another infected individual. The virus multiplies in the gastrointestinal tract where it can also invade the nervous system, causing permanent neurological damage in some individuals.

Most individuals infected with polio remain asymptomatic or develop only mild flu-like symptoms, including fatigue, malaise, fever, headache, sore throat, and vomiting. In fact, the symptoms, if present, may only last 48-72 hours; however, those individuals will continue to shed virus in their stools for a prolonged period, serving as a reservoir for subsequent infections. About 2%-5% of infected individuals go on to develop more serious symptoms that may include respiratory problems and paralysis. Currently, there is no cure for polio; only vaccination can prevent the spread of the disease, and although in the developed world it is almost unheard of, globally, polio remains a fairly common disease. Originally, international organizations believed it possible to eradicate polio by 2000, though this has been more difficult than initially hoped for.



Next: What causes polio? »

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Polio

What causes a sore throat?

A sore throat can have many causes including:

  1. Common viruses, and even the viruses that cause mononucleosis (mono) and the flu, can cause a sore throat. Some viruses can also produce blisters in the mouth and throat ("aphthous stomatitis").

  2. Breathing through the mouth can produce throat dryness and soreness.

  3. Sinus drainage (post nasal drip) may cause a sore throat.

  4. A sore throat can also be caused by bacteria. The two most common bacteria to cause a sore throat are Streptococcus (which causes strep throat) and Arcanobacterium haemolyticum. Arcanobacterium causes sore throats mainly in young adults and is sometimes associated with a fine red rash.

  5. Sore throat appearing after treatment with antibiotics, chemotherapy, or other immune-compromising medicati...

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