Poliomyelitis

Brief summary of poliomyelitis

The purpose of this paper is identifying poliomyelitis which is a fecal-oral group communicable disease worldwide and discussing health interventions to control and eliminate outbreaks and considering ethical dilemmas. The pathogen of poliomyelitis is poliovirus, an enterovirous that is transmitted by fecal-oral route through feces. Respiratory inhalation occurs and the virus initially replicates in the oro-pharynx and then invades the gastrointestinal tract. It can be transmitted via fecal-oral, airborne, water-borne processes, and asymptomatic carrier. (WHO, 2009) Clinical manifestations range from asymptomatic self-limited disease and mild symptoms of combined fever, malaise, fatigue, nausea, headache, flu-like symptoms, stiff neck and back, and pain to severe fetal paralytic disease which may cause death from respiratory failure. Children under five years of age are most at risk. (WHO, 2010) Paralytic poliomyelitis produces muscles pain and affects the lower part of body like the legs. Poliovirus incubates for five to thirty days and becomes communicable two days after disclosure and can remain communicable up to six weeks. Poliomyelitis can be diagnosis by clinical evaluation of viral cultures like spinal fluids, stool samples, throat swabs, and serum antibody levels. (Webber, R., 2010).

Public health interventions

In Unites States, poliomyelitis is not endemic therefore even one case can become an epidemic. Geographically more than 125 countries remained polio-endemic in 1988. Overall global incidents have decreased by 99% since 1988. Between 2009 and 2010 twenty three poliomyelitis free countries were re-infected due to imported virus. The countries of Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Paki...

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...rol: A global perspective (3rded) Cambridge, MA: CABI publishing

World Health Organization - Case definition for the four diseases requiring notification in all circumstances under the International Health Regulation (2005). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/ihr/Case_Definitions.pdf

POLIOMYELITIS Report Immediately Retrieved from health.utah.gov/epi/diseases/polio/plan/PolioPlan061510.pdf

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) studied the illness and death rates before and after widespread implementation of national vaccine recommendations (in place before 2005) for 13 vaccine-preventable diseases; diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella (including congenital rubella syndrome), invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), acute hepatitis B, hepatitis A, varicella (chickenpox), Streptococcus pneumoniae and smallpox.