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Poliomyelitis

Poliomyelitis anterior acuta · Dětská obrna (poliomyelitida)

What it is

A virus that destroys motor nerve cells in the spinal cord, paralysing about 1 in 200 infected; almost eradicated by vaccination.

Symptoms & signs

  • Mostly mild or no symptoms
  • fever, sore throat
  • sudden floppy paralysis, often of a leg
  • breathing muscle paralysis
  • post-polio syndrome decades later

🚩 Get help if…

  • call 112 / 911 now Sudden weakness or floppy arm or leg
  • call 112 / 911 now Trouble breathing or swallowing
  • see a doctor soon Fever with a stiff neck and back pain
  • see a doctor soon New weakness or tiredness years after polio

Where it strikes

Medical treatment

  • No cure once it strikes; supportive care trials support
  • Breathing support trials support
  • Physiotherapy and orthoses trials support
  • Vaccination — cases fell from about 350 000 a year in 1988 to double digits; the oral vaccine itself paralyses roughly 1 child in 2.7 million doses and can seed vaccine-derived outbreaks, which is why rich countries use the injected one trials support

Natural & lifestyle

  • Vaccinate
  • clean water and sanitation

Emerging & experimental

  • Novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV2)
  • antivirals (pocapavir)

Alternative, off-label & anecdotal

Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.

  • Homeopathic 'nosodes' instead of vaccine — no protection not confirmed in trials
  • Herbal remedies — no effect on the virus anecdotal / traditional
  • Hydrotherapy and gentle exercise for post-polio syndrome — small studies early / small studies

ICD codes