ABOUT POLIO

Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a highly contagious, paralyzing and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in some parts of the world. The Poliovirus invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in hours. It can strike people of any age but mainly affects children under five years. Polio can be prevented by vaccines, but it is not curable. Unlike most diseases, polio can be eradicated. For more than 30 years, Rotary and our partners have driven the effort to eradicate polio worldwide. Rotary members have contributed more than $2.2 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.

SYMPTOMS OF POLIO

Non-Paralytic Polio – 

This does not cause paralysis and usually causes flu like symptoms such as: sore throat, fever, headache, vomiting, weakness and fatigue, back pain, neck pain or stiffness, meningitis, muscle tenderness or weakness.

Paralytic Polio – 

Loss of reflexes, severe muscle weakness and pain, floppy and loose limbs (flaccid paralysis).