How can polio be transmitted

Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Immunisation against polio Immunisation against polio for children Immunisation against polio for adults Symptoms of polio How polio spreads Risk factors for polio Diagnosis of polio Treatment for polio Where to get help. Immunisation against polio Immunisation is the best protection against polio. Immunisation against polio for children Protection against polio is available free of charge for children under the National Immunisation Program. In Victoria, immunisation against polio is free for: babies at 2, 4 and 6 months — immunisation in the form of a diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio and Haemophilus influenza type b Hib vaccine 6-in-1 vaccine children at 4 years — a booster dose in the form of a diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio vaccine 4-in-1 vaccine children up to and including 9 years of age — catch up immunisation with combination vaccines is available Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, refugees and asylum seekers from 10 years of age — catch-up immunisations with a polio-only vaccine are available for people who have not been fully vaccinated.

Immunisation against polio for adults It is recommended that all adults make sure that they have been vaccinated against polio. People who are at risk and may need a booster include: people intending to travel to Afghanistan or Pakistan, where polio is still endemic known as wild poliovirus people intending to travel to areas where there has been a recent outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus see the Global Polio Eradication Initiative website for the current list of affected areas healthcare workers who have been in contact with people who may have had the poliovirus in the past 10 weeks people who are likely to handle laboratory specimens that contain live poliovirus.

Symptoms of polio Polio symptoms generally appear between 3 and 21 days after infection. In mild polio cases, symptoms include: fever tiredness and weakness malaise headache nausea and vomiting muscle stiffness. If the virus spreads to the nervous system, it can cause major illness, such as: encephalitis inflammation of the brain meningitis inflammation of membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord paralysis.

The onset of paralysis is generally quite rapid — usually within 3 to 4 days. Symptoms include: severe muscle pain stiffness of the neck and back — with or without paralysis swallowing and breathing problems death — in severe cases, when breathing and swallowing muscles are paralysed.

Paralytic polio can cause long-term disability due to paralysis of the muscles. How polio spreads The poliovirus is spread when food, water or hands that are contaminated with the faeces poo or the throat or nasal secretions of an infected person enter the mouth of an uninfected person.

People who are particularly at risk of infection include: pregnant women the elderly the very young people with a weakened immune system, such as those with HIV. Factors that can increase your risk include: travelling to an area where polio is common or where an outbreak has recently occurred living with or caring for someone who may be currently infected with the poliovirus not being immunised and having contact with someone recently immunised with the oral polio vaccine.

Diagnosis of polio To diagnose polio, a doctor will: take a medical history perform a physical examination for symptoms such as: neck and back stiffness abnormal reflexes swallowing and breathing problems.

Treatment for polio There is no cure for polio. Supportive treatment options include: antibiotics — for secondary infections pain-relieving medication portable ventilators to assist breathing medication to reduce muscle spasms moderate exercise massage physiotherapy heat treatments a nutritious diet. Symptoms of late effects of polio The most common symptoms include: fatigue decreased strength and muscle endurance pain sleep problems breathing, swallowing or speech difficulties a range of physical symptoms such as scoliosis or joint problems.

PPS is diagnosed on the basis of: new symptoms of pain and weakness, continuing for at least a year medical history — having had a polio infection in the past, with or without paralysis no other clinical explanations for the symptoms known as diagnosis of exclusion.

For example: muscle fatigue and pain due to reduced muscle tissue pain, and sleep or breathing problems, from postural abnormalities such as scoliosis or kyphosis increased stress on joints, leading to arthritis and pain this may be worsened by weight gain reduced bone density from long-term lack of weight-bearing activity due to weakened limbs increasing muscle weakness due to a greater loss of motor neurones than in the normal process of ageing.

Symptoms may be controlled or improved if you: avoid physical overexertion or stress keep comfortably warm and avoid exposure to cold temperatures modify daily activities to conserve energy — for example, sit rather than stand where possible use aids and equipment — for example, orthoses, braces, walking sticks and electric scotters ensure that all exercise is pain free and does not cause excessive tiredness.

For some problems, surgery may be necessary. For example: a torn rotator cuff tendon in the shoulder — this can occur after years of using the arms to assist with walking for example, using crutches or to push up and out of chairs foot deformities that can cause falls replacing worn joints at the hip and knee on the stronger leg. Rehabilitation for post-polio syndrome After a full assessment with a rehabilitation specialist, you may be referred to: a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist — for weakness, pain or mobility problems a respiratory therapist — for breathing difficulties an orthotist — for leg braces.

Support for people experiencing late effects of polio and post-polio syndrome The onset of LEoP can cause many people to feel emotional about past polio experiences. Where to get help In an emergency, always call triple zero Your GP doctor — to assist with ongoing management, advice, referrals to a rehabilitation specialist and other medical specialists and health professionals Emergency department of your nearest hospital Your local government immunisation service Maternal and Child Health Line Tel.

Immunisation schedule Victoria and vaccine eligibility criteria , , Department of Health, Victorian Government. Vaccine side effects , , Department of Health, Victorian Government. Pre-immunisation checklist , , Department of Health, Victorian Government. Poliomyelitis polio , , World Health Organization. Give feedback about this page. CDC containment of the poliovirus is critical to minimizing the risk of the virus causing harm in the environment.

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Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. On This Page. Learn More. Transmission Poliovirus is very contagious and spreads through person-to-person contact. Poliovirus only infects people. It enters the body through the mouth and spreads through: Contact with the feces poop of an infected person.

Droplets from a sneeze or cough of an infected person less common. You can get infected with poliovirus if: You have picked-up minute pieces of feces on your hands, and you touch your mouth. You put in your mouth objects like toys that are contaminated with feces. Proximal muscle groups are affected more than distal groups. Any combination of limbs may be paralysed, although lower limbs are predominantly affected. Bulbar poliomyelitis is a serious form of the disease resulting from paralysis of the muscles innervated by the cranial nerves, and this can lead to dysphagia, nasal speech, pooling of secretions and dyspnoea.

In rare instances polio can present as encephalitis, clinically indistinguishable from other causes of viral encephalitis. The paralysis can progress for up to one week. Permanent weakness is observed in two-thirds of patients with paralytic poliomyelitis. After 30 days, most of the reversible damage will have disappeared, and some return of function can still be expected for up to nine months. Post-polio syndrome is a poorly understood condition, characterised by the onset of fatigue, muscle weakness and wasting in patients who have recovered from paralytic polio.

It can start several years after the acute disease. Post-polio syndrome is not an infectious disease and further discussion of the condition is beyond the scope of this factsheet. Current European consensus guidelines on diagnosis and management of post-polio syndrome are available from the European Federation of Neurological Societies.

Epidemiology In the pre-vaccine era, virtually all children were infected with polio virus early in life. Immunisation with oral polio vaccines OPV and inactivated polio vaccines IPV started towards the end of the s and has significantly reduced the incidence of poliomyelitis.

Of the three wild poliovirus serotypes only WPV1 remains. WPV2 was declared eradicated in September , with the last case detected in India in In August , the WHO African Region was declared free of wild poliovirus after four years with no new cases reported.

Outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses cVDPV are rare, but the number of cases is increasing due to under-immunised populations. An interactive map showing worldwide polioviruses cases, regularly updated by ECDC, is available here. The EU case definition of paralytic poliomyelitis, for the purposes of reporting communicable diseases to the community network, can be found here.

Transmission Humans are the only known reservoir for polio virus. The virus is transmitted via droplets or aerosols from the throat and by faecal contamination of hands, utensils, food and water. The majority of transmissions occur via person-to-person contact or the faeco-oral route, although the oro-oral route is also possible. The following factors have been identified as contributing to continued polio transmission: high population density; poor health service infrastructure; poor sanitation; high incidence of diarrhoeal diseases; and low oral polio vaccine coverage.

However, poliovirus is excreted in the stools for up to six weeks.