Warning! Recognize the symptoms of polio that can cause total paralysis

Poliomyelitis or poliomyelitis is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the polio virus that attacks the nervous system. Nowadays, polio is rare because many people are aware of the importance of the polio vaccine, but do you know what the symptoms of poliomyelitis are?

Children under 5 years are the most likely to be infected with the polio virus compared to other age groups. But not all people who have not received the polio vaccine are still at high risk of contracting polio.

According to WHO, 1 out of every 200 people infected with polio virus is totally paralyzed. Besides polio can also cause breathing difficulties and even death.

Thanks to the global polio eradication movement that began in 1988, countries in Southeast Asia have been declared polio free. But until now, polio is still prevalent in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.

Since 2014, Indonesia has been declared free of polio. However. Some time ago, new cases of polio were reported in Indonesia. Therefore, all countries must remain vigilant because polio can still occur as long as the spread of the virus has not been completely eradicated.
Polio transmission

The polio virus lives in the throat and intestines of an infected person. Transmission occurs mainly through contact with the patient's feces and fluids during coughing or sneezing. Fecal transmission often occurs in poor sanitary environments.

The risk of transmission of polio is a maximum of 7 to 10 days before the onset of polio symptoms. This virus can live in the throat for one week and stool for up to six weeks or more in patients with weakened immune systems.

There are three types of diseases caused by poliovirus infection, including non-paralytic poliomyelitis, paralytic poliomyelitis and postpolio syndrome.
Symptoms of non-paralytic poliomyelitis

This is a mild type of polio that does not cause paralysis. The symptoms of non-paralytic poliomyelitis disappear within 24 to 72 hours and sometimes last for up to ten days.

In this type of poliomyelitis, recovery is complete and does not cause sequelae in the future.

This type of polio virus does not enter the nervous system and does not damage nerves. Flu-like symptoms, including:

fever
Sore throat
Headache
Nausea and vomiting
fatigue
Pain or stiffness in the back, neck and hands
Muscle weakness.

Symptoms of paralytic poliomyelitis

This type of poliomyelitis is rare but serious. Early symptoms such as non-paralytic poliomyelitis, but a few days or a week later, other serious symptoms appear, such as:

Loss of body reflexes
Severe muscle aches and muscle weakness
Members who usually feel weak on one side of the body
Paralysis is suddenly temporary or permanent

About 2 to 5% of people with paralytic polio may die. Of those who have survived since polio paralysis, 50% of people with polio paralysis may experience permanent paralysis.
Post-folio syndrome
Post-polio syndrome (PPS) often occurs in people who have previously experienced paralytic poliomyelitis. The main symptom of PPS is muscle weakness that recurs and worsens slowly. The average PPS occurs 35 years after the first polio infection.

In addition to the manifested muscle weakness, other symptoms of PPS include:

muscles to shrink
easily tired
difficulty swallowing and breathing
sleep disturbance due to tension
impaired concentration and memory
easy to cool
frequent mood swings and depression.

Although cases of poliomyelitis are rare, the complications are serious. Therefore, it is important to do early prevention with poliomyelitis vaccination. I hope this article will help you recognize the symptoms of polio and its complications.