What is polio?
Polio is a viral infection that can affect the nerves that control your muscles.
Polio spreads when people eat infected food or water or touch an infected surface and then touch their mouth
Most people just have mild symptoms, such as headache and sore throat, and don't even know they have polio
In a few people, polio causes permanent muscle weakness and paralysis (being unable to move a part of your body)
Polio also spreads through the stool, saliva, or sneezes of infected people
The polio vaccine (shot) prevents polio
What causes polio?
Polio is caused by the poliovirus. It's very contagious and is spread by contact with infected people.
Polio was common in much of the world until the 1950s, when a vaccine became available. The last case of polio in the United States was in 1979. People still get polio in parts of Africa (especially Nigeria), Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
What are the symptoms of polio?
Most people don’t have any symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they usually are mild, such as fever, sore throat, and mild headache. Because people aren't very sick, doctors don't usually do any tests and the illness isn't even recognized as polio.
A few people have more serious symptoms:
Very bad headache
Stiff neck and back
Muscle pain
Some of the people with more serious symptoms have worse problems:
Muscle weakness that may be long-lasting
Paralysis, making you unable to move part of your body
The paralysis can affect different parts of your body. You may be unable to move one or both legs. You may be unable to swallow or even breathe.
How can doctors tell if I have polio?
Doctors suspect polio based on your symptoms and whether you have been in an area where other people have polio. To tell for sure, they’ll:
Do blood tests
Test samples from your stool or throat
Do a spinal tap to test your spinal fluid
How do doctors treat polio?
There's no cure for polio. Doctors will:
Have you take medicine to lower pain and fever
If you can't breathe, they may put you on a ventilator (a machine to help you breathe)
People with mild cases of polio usually recover completely. People with severe polio usually have long-lasting muscle weakness. Sometimes, even if symptoms get better or go away, the muscle weakness can get worse or return many years later (postpolio syndrome).
How can I prevent polio?
Get the poliovirus vaccine, which is included in children’s schedule of shots.
In the United States, children get a shot at 2 months, 4 months, 6 to 18 months, and 4 to 6 years
If you didn't get all of your childhood polio vaccine shots, talk to your doctor about getting vaccinated as an adult
If you’re traveling to an area where there’s polio, talk to your doctor about whether you need another shot even if you've already been vaccinated
