Is polio contagious?

Polio is a disease caused by the polio virus, which can be spread through contaminated food, water or direct contact with the patient's secretions, making it contagious. The key to prevention is to get vaccinated against polio, while also paying attention to good personal hygiene habits and avoiding close contact with infected people.

1How is polio spread?

Polio is caused by the polio virus and is a viral infectious disease. There are two main ways of transmission: one is the fecal-oral route, such as eating food or water contaminated by the patient's feces; the other is contact with droplets or oral secretions of an infected person. This virus is highly aggressive to the human immune system and is particularly easy to spread to unvaccinated people, such as infants or people with low immunity. It is very important to maintain good hygiene habits and a clean environment.

2How to prevent polio infection?

An effective way to prevent infection is to vaccinate against polio. There are currently two vaccines: oral polio vaccine OPV and inactivated polio vaccine IPV. The vaccination program usually begins two months after the baby is born and is completed according to the schedule of the national immunization program. In addition to vaccination, the following measures should be taken in daily life at home:

Wash hands before and after meals, especially when taking care of infants or handling food.

Drink clean drinking water, avoid eating raw, cold or uncooked food, and pay attention to the source and hygiene when purchasing food.

Avoid entering areas with high incidence of the epidemic, pay close attention to vaccination notifications, and get vaccinated in time.

3What should you do after being infected with polio?

Once infected, the patient may experience mild cold-like symptoms such as fever, headache, nausea, or even muscle weakness or paralysis. Treatment mainly includes:

Supportive treatment: Help patients relieve symptoms, such as using antipyretics, replenishing electrolytes, etc.

Rehabilitation assistance: For patients who have already developed paralysis, physical therapy or rehabilitation training can be used to alleviate the sequelae;

Isolation and protection: To prevent the virus from spreading to others, family members need to be isolated from the patient and the home environment must be disinfected.

Vaccination is a key means of preventing polio, which not only protects individuals but also blocks the chain of virus transmission. If you have any questions about your baby's vaccination plan, you can consult your local community hospital. Everyone should pay attention to personal hygiene and work together to eliminate the threat of disease.