Poliomyelitis

Why the disease occurs

Poliovirus enters the body through the mouth, multiplies in the intestine, and can then enter the bloodstream and nervous system. In severe cases, the virus affects motor neurons of the spinal cord, leading to muscle weakness and paralysis.

The source of infection is a sick person or a carrier. The incubation period ranges from 4 to 30 days. About 95% of infected people have no symptoms but can shed the virus and be contagious to others.

Symptoms that require a doctor

The clinical picture of poliomyelitis depends on the form of the disease. The mild (abortive) form resembles a cold or intestinal infection: fever, headache, sore throat, nausea, diarrhea.

Warning signs requiring immediate medical help:

• Neck stiffness (unable to press the chin to the chest).
• Severe headache and pain in the back, neck, and limbs.
• Sudden weakness or paralysis of muscles (usually the legs), typically asymmetric.
• Impaired swallowing, choking, nasal voice.
• Difficulty breathing when respiratory muscles are affected.

If these symptoms appear, especially in an unvaccinated child, urgent medical help is necessary. The paralytic form develops in less than 1% of infected people, but it is the most dangerous.

How care is built

There is no specific antiviral treatment. In hospital, supportive and symptomatic therapy is provided: painkillers and antipyretics, infusion therapy to relieve intoxication.

In the paralytic form with breathing impairment, mechanical ventilation may be required. During recovery, physiotherapy, therapeutic exercise, and orthopedic devices are used to preserve muscle function.

The key mistake is refusing vaccination or trying to treat suspected polio at home. This is dangerous not only for the patient but also for others.

What to expect

With mild and non-paralytic forms, the prognosis is favorable — most patients recover completely. With the paralytic form, recovery may be incomplete, and residual effects (muscle atrophy, deformities) require long-term rehabilitation.

Prevention remains the most reliable way of protection. In Russia, vaccination is carried out according to the national schedule: at 3, 4.5, and 6 months, with revaccination at 18 months, 20 months, and 6 years.

At Neuro-Clinic, we help make sense of symptoms and select a recovery program after an infection. Book by phone or via the website form — the administrator will find a convenient time.