World Polio Awareness Week begins today August 6th-12th, 2013 Polio, also called poliomyelitis is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by one of three related viruses. Polio is a very serious disease, which can lead to paralysis or even death. Once a person is exposed to polio, it usually takes about three to five days for symptoms to appear. In about 95 percent of polio cases, infection from the polio virus causes no symptoms or serious effects. In about 5 percent of cases, the polio virus manifests in a mild form (abortive polio) with flu-like symptoms, in a nonparalytic form (aseptic meningitis) or in a severe form called paralytic polio. People who have minor or nonparalytic forms recover completely. Post Polio Syndrome Many individuals who contracted poliomyelitis earlier in their lives began to report new health problems that were similar to polio but often occurring on their "good side". This has been established to be the late effects of polio but the most accepted name is Post Polio Syndrome or PPS. Polio and Post Polio Syndrome Poliomyelitis is a very old disease the earliest recorded case was 1580 BC. It is caused by a virus that is extremely stable, highly virulent and easily ingested by others. Polio epidemics raged in North America for 100 years killing, paralyzing and laming children. From 1927 until 1962more than 50,000 Canadians were known to be infected and thousands died, however Health Canada tells us actual numbers are much higher. Dr. Dre Osunsade has stated at Lautech Teaching Hospital Osogbo during the awareness campaign that: “If we had never eradicated polio in Nigeria we would not even be TALKING about hip and knee surgery today as they would be SECONDARY to the damage caused by polio. It is likely that every orthopedic surgeon we could train would be too occupied treating the after-effects of polio”. Do we still need immunization in Nigeria today - you bet we do! Polio is merely ONE plane trip away from us and that means a few hours until it can arrive and attack those who are unprotected. An infected person can spread polio from 7-10 days before and after the onset of symptoms and the virus can be excreted in feces for another three to six weeks. REMEMBER - there is still no cure for polio - maintaining a high level of immunisation is the single most effective protection. What might happen if you get polio? - Most who contract polio will have little or no symptoms at all. For those unlucky ones, the first symptoms may mimic the flu with fever, muscle weakness, headache and nausea. The next stage would likely be a stiff neck and back and severe muscle pain. Finally paralysis! If it is in your legs and arms you cannot move but if it occurs in your muscles for breathing and swallowing and without an iron lung it may be fatal. The period of those polio epidemics were a terrible time. Everyone was afraid of polio. Swimming pools and schools were closed and children were not allowed to take play around during those eras. When polio did strike and a child was taken to hospital they were then placed in isolation. Those isolation wards were terrifying for a child with no parents for reassurance and security. They felt alone and vulnerable in a world of uniforms, pungent smells and strange machines. Rehabilitation was long and difficult, learning to stand and walk for a second time. Most were lucky enough to return home but many would spend years in the hospital. Finally, the development of polio vaccines which meant the end of epidemics in Nigeria and people moved on with their lives. About 35 years after polio there is a new problem, Post Polio Syndrome; Dr Dre add. The motor neurons that took over muscles orphaned by polio are failing and polio survivors must turn once more to canes, walkers and wheel chairs for mobility while others will again require mechanical help just to breathe. We survived polio and now we have to face Post Polio Syndrome which is permanent and progressive and it is caused by POLIO! Stop polio and you will also stop Post Polio Syndrome. Dr. Dre said “Hope lies in dreams, in imagination and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.” Thanks to Non-governmental organizations such as the BILL GATE foundation and Unicef. They have dared to accept the task of immunizing the children of the world against polio. They dream of a polio-free world. And now the DREAM IS BECOMING A REALITY POLIO WILL BE ERADICATED COMPLETLY IN NIGERIA Ff us on twitter @teamLAUMSA
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 16:29:18 +0000
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