Common Illnesses and Diseases While Travelling and Backpacking  

 

Poliomyelitis (Polio)

Poliomyelitis is an acute infection that involves the central nervous system. It is acquired by faecal-oral. Most of the world's remaining poliovirus transmission is in two large endemic areas in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Manifestations: Clinical manifestations of poliovirus infection range from asymptomatic (the majority of infections) to symptomatic, including:
• Acute flaccid paralysis of a single limb to quadriplegia
• Headache
• Gastric disturbance
• Neck stiffness
• Malaise
• Breathing problems maybe leading to respiratory failure
• Rarely, death.

Diagnosis and treatment: Diagnosis is demonstrated by the clinical manifestations. Specific treatment is not available. Therapy is symptomatic, primary with the purpose to treat respiratory failure.

Prevent Poliomyelitis by:
• Vaccination - Polio vaccine is part of the childhood vaccine programme with the final dose being at age14/15yrs. Boosters are then required every 10 years. Polio virus has been eradicated from much of the world now and efforts continue to rid the whole world of this disease in the next 5 years.

 

 

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