Polio is resurfacing as a global health concern, wiht recent cases detected in regions previously considered polio-free, prompting renewed calls for vaccination. Initially presenting with flu-like symptoms such as fever and muscle pain, the virus can attack the nervous system, leading to permanent paralysis-particularly if it affects respiratory muscles, causing life-threatening suffocation.
Polio was a widespread and feared disease, notably causing large outbreaks in Europe and the USA during the 1950s. Affected children frequently enough required iron lungs-ventilation machines-to survive.Actor Robert Redford reportedly experienced a mild course of the infection without lasting effects, but many of his contemporaries suffered lifelong disabilities.
Currently, ther is no specific cure for the poliovirus; treatment focuses on alleviating symptoms and providing supportive care, such as physiotherapy. Severe paralysis frequently enough results in long-term reliance on wheelchairs or ventilation.
Effective polio vaccines have been available as the 1960s, leading to Europe being declared polio-free in 2002 and critically important progress in disease reduction across Africa and Asia. However, polio persists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, posing a risk of re-emergence globally. Vaccination in childhood remains crucial to prevent the virus’s spread and protect populations worldwide.
