SCRIPT NUMBER 168
POLIO - 2
(TWO SPEAKERS)
PROGRAM NAME: HEALTH NUGGETS
PROGRAM TITLE: POLIO - 2
PROGRAM NUMBER: 168
SUBJECT: CAUSE, SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT, PREVENTION OF POLIO
KEY WORDS: SANITATION, FECES, BODY WASTE, CONTAGIOUS, SPINAL
CORD, BRAIN, BREATHING MACHINE, ERADICATION
DATE OF SCRIPT: JUNE 13, 2014
AUTHOR: RICHARD YUKL, MD, FACS
SPEAKER 1:
The World Health Organization recently issued a global alert
concerning a polio outbreak in the Middle East. As of March 20, 2014, thirtyseven documented cases of polio infection had been reported in the Syrian Arab
Republic. Sadly, the infection has been spreading in the region. A six-month-old
boy who had not been immunized against polio recently developed paralysis in
Baghdad, Iraq, and his three-year-old sister also became infected. Furthermore,
one hundred eighty-six samples of body waste in Israel recently tested positive
for the virus.
SPEAKER 2:
Risk of further spread of the infection across the region
remains high, although that risk has somewhat lessened because of preventative
actions that are being taken by the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean
Region. They have declared an emergency, and have begun to immunize
children who, as yet, are not immunized against polio.
SPEAKER 1:
What, exactly, is a polio?
SPEAKER 2:
It is a virus infection found only in humans. It mainly affects
children under the age of five years, pregnant women and people with a
weakened immune system. In its most severe form, the infection causes
irreversible muscle paralysis. Paralysis of the breathing muscles can occur, and
that causes the death of 5-10% of those who become infected.
SPEAKER 1:
I have heard that extensive eradication efforts have almost
eliminated polio around the world. Why, then, should we be concerned about it
now?
SPEAKER 2:
Unfortunately, the virus is so contagious that, as long as a
single person remains infected, people everywhere remain at risk of becoming
infected. The virus is easily spread from person to person, especially in areas of
the world where sanitation is inadequate. It remains active for weeks in the feces
of an infected person, and it can spread from the infected feces to the mouth of
another person through water, through food that has become contaminated by
the feces, or by direct contact with the infected feces. Polio is so contagious that
anyone living with an infected person is likely to become infected as well.
SPEAKER 1:
What are the symptoms of a poliovirus infection?
SPEAKER 2:
Symptoms are the same as symptoms you would expect to
see with a common cold. They last for one to ten days, and include a fever, sore
throat, back and neck pain or stiffness, and a headache. Some people who
become infected are unfortunate, developing spread of the infection to their
spinal cord or to their brain. About one week after the infection has spread, they
develop severe muscle aches and spasm, arms and legs that often weaken on
one side more than the other, and the sudden onset of permanent paralysis of
the involved muscles.
SPEAKER 1:
Is there a cure for polio?
SPEAKER 2:
There is no cure. Treatment can only increase an infected
person’s comfort, speed recovery from the symptoms, and prevent some the
infection’s complications. Supportive treatments include bed rest with mild
physical therapy, medicines to relieve the pain, a nutritious diet, and assistance
with breathing that may even include the use of a breathing machine, should that
become necessary.
SPEAKER 1:
What would it take to eliminate polio worldwide?
SPEAKER 2:
Worldwide elimination of polio can only come through a
coordinated, worldwide program designed to prevent spread of the infection. A
global plan to eradicate polio has been developed and implemented under the
direction of the World Health Organization. Under that plan, infants receive polio
vaccine as an inactivated virus in four doses - when they are 2 months old, 4
months old, and when the child is between 6-18 months of age. A fourth vaccine
dose is given when the child is entering school. Over 20 million volunteers have
participated in this mass immunization campaign to eradicate polio worldwide,
and more than 361 million children have been vaccinated. Vaccination is 90%
effective after three doses have been given, and 99% effective in preventing a
polio infection if all four of the doses of vaccine are given.
SPEAKER 1:
What should I do if I have come into contact with someone
is, or who may be, infected with the virus?
SPEAKER 2:
Some general guidelines can help prevent spread of the
infection from that person to others. Those guidelines include improving public
sanitation in your area, and personally taking care to avoid touching anything that
could possibly be contaminated. The most effective way to avoid infection,
however, is to get a polio vaccination as soon as possible.
SPEAKER 1:
What does my getting vaccinated involve?
SPEAKER 2:
You should receive two doses of polio vaccine one to two
months apart, and a third dose 6-12 months following the second dose. If you are
an adult who has been vaccinated against polio at some time in the past, you
should be revaccinated if you care for someone whom you know is infected with
the virus, or if you travel to parts of the world where polio still occurs regularly.
SPEAKER 1:
Review the strategy we should follow to help stop both
children and adults from becoming infected with poliovirus.
SPEAKER 2:
First, we should immunize infants with the polio vaccine
during their first year of life. Then, supplement those immunizations with an
additional dose of vaccine when the child enters school. Next, adults who live in
any country where polio has been identified should be immunized. Finally, any
child below age fifteen who develops paralysis for unknown reasons should be
investigated for the possibility of a polio infection. Coalitions of governments have
been formed to follow this strategy, and eradication efforts are ongoing.
Once polio is eradicated, the world can celebrate a public good that will benefit
all people equally, no matter where they live.
SPEAKER 1:
Health Nuggets is written by Dr. Richard Yukl, a medical
doctor working in the United States. The medical views expressed in this
program are his and may differ for your particular health needs. If you need
medical advice, please consult a medical professional in your area.