Poliomyelitis or Polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. Polio may strike at any age, but usually affects children under three. According to the World Health Organization, in 2006, there were 660 confirmed cases of Poliomyelitis in India. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, and stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. This paralysis usually occurs in the legs.
Preventive measures: There is no cure for polio till date; it can only be prevented through immunization. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, almost always protects a child for life. Full immunization will markedly reduce an individual's risk of developing paralytic Polio. Though it protects most people; some individuals may still contract the disease due to a failure to respond to the vaccine.
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