Is polio more dangerous than before? Cases in other countries

The first case of polio in 30 years was detected in Malawi in south-eastern Africa. Infections with a dangerous virus have also been reported in Ukraine and Israel in recent months. This is worrying news because, as the World Health Organization (WHO) points out, “as long as one child remains infected with polio, children in all countries are at risk of developing the disease”.

1. Polio, also known as Heine-Medin disease, is especially dangerous for children
2. Infection with the virus can lead to serious complications, including irreversible paralysis. The polio epidemic swept across Europe in the 50s.
3. The way to eliminate polio is through universal vaccination. So far, no effective cure has been found for this disease
4. Check your health. Just answer these questions
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Polio returned to Malawi, Israel and Ukraine

The polio virus has been gone in Malawi for 30 years. Now the first new case of infection with this pathogen has been confirmed. As a result, Malawi authorities decided to start mass immunization of children against polio. In total, they are to cover 23 million minors from the country in South-East Africa and neighboring countries. The same variant of the poliovirus is now also circulating in Pakistan.

This is not the first case of polio infection this year. In early March, the world heard about a sick child in Israel – 33 years after the disease had disappeared from that country. In January, the infection was also confirmed in Ukraine (where polio was also detected in 2021). In Poland, no child has developed Heine-Medin disease since 1984.

1. Also read: They have had polio. They tell about the treatment in the People’s Republic of Poland

Earlier, however, our country had to deal with an epidemic, which peaked in the 50s. At that time, between 1,7 and 3 thousand people were recorded annually. cases among children. In the peak of 1958, over 6 people fell ill. people. However, the next year brought a breakthrough, thanks to prof. Hilary Koprowski, who invented the oral polio vaccine. The preparation was given to children from 1959, thanks to which the disease was controlled. One should not be eliminated, because there is a risk that it will reach us from abroad. Therefore, maintaining the obligation to vaccinate children against polio is crucial in the epidemic context.

The rest of the article is available under the video.

Is polio more dangerous than before?

“As long as at least one child remains infected with polio, children in all countries are at risk of the disease,” emphasizes the WHO. Therefore, each subsequent case of infection with a pathogen is information that may raise justified concerns. The appearance of new outbreaks creates a risk of further transmission and the spread of the polio virus to our country. Especially in the context of war refugees from Ukraine who continue to go to Poland.

It is worth emphasizing, however, that polio poses a real threat only to unvaccinated children. This means that as long as Poles adhere to the schedule of compulsory immunization of the youngest members of their families, there is no reason to worry.

However, the popularity of polio vaccination in our country is not good at the moment. This is mainly due to parents’ fear of administering preparations to their children. They are concerned about adverse reactions to the vaccine, some of them still remember the false information that vaccines cause autism in children. As a result, in 2022, Poland began to approach the border of polio resistance. The obligatory vaccination schedule in our country is implemented in 85%, while 10 years ago 90% were fully vaccinated. kids.

1. The editorial office recommends: Ukrainian children will be compulsorily vaccinated. The health ministry explains the rules

Disease caused by the polio virus. There is no cure for it

When the polio virus enters the body of an unvaccinated child, it first attacks the lymph nodes and the circulatory system. The pathogen then spreads throughout the body, destroying the nervous system.

Even 95 percent. polio virus infections are asymptomatic, which makes Heine-Medina disease extremely difficult to diagnose. In 4 to 8 percent those infected develop non-specific symptoms such as diarrhea, fever or sore throat. In most of these cases, the immune system is able to produce antibodies and deal with the pathogen on its own.

However, about 0,5 percent remains. all cases of infections, when we are dealing with a severe course with tragic consequences. A complication resulting from virus infection may then be paralysis of neurons in the anterior horns of the spinal cord. This is called paralytic type, the consequence of which is paralysis or paresis of the lower and upper limbs or the trunk, leading to muscle atrophy. In the bulbar form, polio, in turn, destroys the nerve centers located at the base of the brain, which can result in problems with movement, speech and breathing.

During the polio epidemic in the 50s, children with this type of severe polio were placed in a machine called the “iron lung”. It was a kind of “capsule” that allowed a small patient to breathe artificially. One of the babies who was placed in an iron lung »is Paul Alexander from Texas. He was six years old when he fell ill. The man, now over 70, has spent his entire adult life inside the machine. You can read Paul Alexander’s life story here.

We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we devote it to emotions. Often times, a particular sight, sound or smell brings to mind a similar situation that we have already experienced. What opportunities does this give us? How does our body react to such an emotion? You will hear about this and many other aspects related to emotions below.

Also read:

1. 14 diseases that we (almost) forgot thanks to vaccinations
2. A Pole discovered the polio vaccine. Who was Hilary Koprowski?
3. He lost his doctoral title for cheating. Vaccine opponents cite him to this day
4. Parents intentionally infect their children with viruses. Doctors warn that this is very dangerous