Is polio contagious?

Poliomyelitis is an infectious disease caused by the polio virus, which is transmitted through the fecal-oral route or droplets, with unvaccinated children at higher risk of infection. Timely vaccination against polio is the key to prevention.

1. Transmission of polio

Polio is mainly transmitted through viruses, and common routes include:

Fecal-oral route: It is easy to be infected when coming into contact with feces containing the virus, contaminated food or water.

Droplet transmission: Droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes can spread the virus, especially in areas of high viral activity or among unvaccinated people.

Contact with pollutants: Daily necessities such as toys and tableware may also be contaminated and spread the virus. Children are extremely susceptible to infection when their immunity is weak.

2. How to prevent polio infection

Prevention is the core of polio control, and vaccination is the most effective method that has been widely used around the world.

Polio vaccination: Currently commonly used vaccines include oral attenuated polio vaccine OPV and inactivated polio vaccine IPV, which can effectively prevent viral infection. It is recommended to be injected in time according to the national immunization plan.

Improve sanitary conditions: keep your hands clean and avoid touching your mouth and nose with dirty hands, especially pay attention to hand hygiene before children eat; at the same time, ensure the cleanliness of drinking water and food sources.

Avoid high-risk contact: Avoid going to areas with high incidence of the epidemic or contact with infected people, especially avoid contact with pollutants that have not been properly handled.

3. Symptoms and early treatment of polio

After infection, you may experience mild cold symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, sore throat, etc. In a few cases, you may experience neurological symptoms, such as limb paralysis. If you find any suspected symptoms, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Drug treatment: There is no specific antiviral drug, and treatment is mainly to relieve symptoms, such as using antipyretic and analgesic drugs such as acetaminophen to relieve fever and pain.

Supportive treatment: For severe cases with respiratory muscle paralysis, respiratory support equipment such as a ventilator may be used if necessary.

Rehabilitation during the recovery period: Through professional physical therapy, the limited activities caused by paralysis can be improved and the occurrence of sequelae can be reduced.

If there are unvaccinated children in the family, they should be taken to a regular hospital for vaccination immediately and pay attention to their own hygiene and the surrounding environment. Although polio can be prevented by vaccines, it is equally important to pay attention to blocking the transmission route.