Polio
Polio is a contagious viral illness. In its most severe form, polio causes paralysis, difficulty breathing and sometimes death.
During the first half of the 20th century, no illness inspired more dread and panic in the United States than did polio. Sometimes called infantile paralysis, polio struck in the U.S. every summer and fall with virulent epidemics. In 1952, when the polio epidemic was at its peak, 3,000 people died.
Research for a Cure
Following the widespread use of poliovirus vaccine in the mid-1950s, the incidence of poliomyelitis declined dramatically in many industrialized countries. A global effort to eradicate polio began in 1988, led by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and The Rotary Foundation.
These efforts have reduced the number of annual diagnosed cases by 99%; from an estimated 350,000 cases in 1988 to 1,310 cases in 2007.
Treatment
Because no cure for polio exists, the focus is on increasing comfort, speeding recovery and preventing complications. Supportive treatments include:
Antibiotics for secondary infections (none for poliovirus)
Analgesics for pain
Portable ventilators to assist breathing
Moderate exercise
A nutritious diet
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