Vickie Neapolitan, age 11, of Youngstown, Ohio, for her question:
WHAT IS POLIO?
Scientists don't know exactly how the disease of polio spreads or why in the past there have been epidemics. Most medical authorities believe that the polio virus spreads from the intestines, throat and nose of the infected persons. The polio virus, strangely, does not always cause disease. It has been found in the bodies of apparently healthy persons.
Polio is an inflammation of the brain and the spinal cord. The disease's full name is poliomyelitis, and it is also called infantile paralysis because at one time it was thought that it could only hit children and that it always caused paralysis. Doctors now know that polio can affect persons of any age and that it does not always leave its victims paralyzed.
Poliomyelitis is caused by tiny virus particles that attack the gray matter of the brain and spinal cord. The name comes from two Greek words: polios, which means gray, and myelos, which means marrow.
Scientists have been fighting a winning battle against polio. The disease has been known since ancient times, and in the 20th century doctors were able to find a way to control it.
In 1955 a doctor at the University of Pittsburgh named Jonas E. Salk developed a vaccine that was declared effective and safe. A bit later an oral vaccine was developed by Albert Sabin at the University of Cincinnati.
No part of the world is free from polio, and it has been known to occur in an epidemic or in scattered cases. In the United States, most cases of poliomyelitis occur in children between the ages of 4 and 15, although statistics show that it can also affect many young adults.
Some cases of polio are light. A person may have fever, sore throat and vomiting that will last for only about 24 hours. It has been estimated that there may be about 100 cases of this mild form for every recognized case of polio.
Severe polio attacks start with the same symptoms as the mild attacks. But then stiffness of the neck and back develops, and the muscles may become weak with body movement difficult. Paralysis can then develop.
The degree of recovery often depends upon immediate medical attention and good nursing care.
Doctors believe that many people have a natural immunity against polio. The body develops antibodies, which are substances that fight disease. Polio antibodies form when a person has had polio or has come in contact with the virus.
A newborn baby may receive polio antibodies from his mother, but these will last only about six months. The baby must then develop his own.