Polio is a contagious illness that used to be very common in the United States. This selection from the eMedTV Web site provides an overview of polio, including its transmission, treatment, prevention, and history.
There are not several causes of polio -- only one: poliovirus. As this part of the eMedTV library explains, polio is caused by an infection with poliovirus, a highly contagious virus that only infects humans. This page describes the cause of polio.
Poliovirus is a highly contagious virus that only affects humans; as this eMedTV article explains, it is also the cause of polio. This page describes the virus in detail, including information on its transmission, history, and possible eradication.
How do you get polio? As this eMedTV article explains, polio can be transmitted in many ways, including sharing food with an infected person or drinking fluids that are contaminated with poliovirus. This page describes polio transmission in detail.
The time between polio transmission and the start of polio symptoms is called the polio incubation period. This eMedTV segment explains that this period can be as short as 4 days or as long as 35. This page discusses the incubation period in detail.
Fever, muscle aches, and abdominal pain are a few of the possible symptoms of polio. This eMedTV segment provides more information about potential symptoms and explains that most people who are infected with the poliovirus have no symptoms.
How do you diagnose polio? As this eMedTV article explains, in order to diagnose polio, the doctor will ask the patient several questions and perform a physical exam. This article takes an in-depth look at the process of diagnosing polio.
As this eMedTV article explains, polio cannot be cured, but the symptoms can be treated while the body fights the poliovirus. This page takes a closer look at the treatment options for polio, including the options for long-term treatment.
Polio prevention is available through the polio vaccine. This selection from the eMedTV archives talks about the significance of the polio vaccine and discusses other methods of polio prevention, such as avoiding infected people.
The only cure for polio is time; in most cases, the body is able to effectively kill the poliovirus. As this eMedTV Web page explains, polio prevention is available in the form of a vaccine. This page explains how prevention is the best "cure."
Polio prevention is available through either an inactive or oral polio vaccine. This eMedTV page explains the differences between the two types and describes a typical vaccination schedule for children. A brief history of the disease is also included.
Several conditions (including diphtheria and myasthenia gravis) can mimic the symptoms of polio. This eMedTV Web page offers a detailed list of diseases similar to polio in signs and symptoms.
Polio goes back to records from antiquity; they mentioned diseases compatible with polio. As this eMedTV segment explains, the history of polio changed following the licensing of a polio vaccine in 1955. This page describes this condition's history.
