Polio | Symptoms & Causes
What causes polio?
The poliovirus spreads most often from fecal-oral contact. Usually, this occurs from poor hand washing or from consuming of contaminated food or water. Sneezing or coughing also spreads the virus. Your child is most contagious immediately before any symptoms show up and soon after they appear.
What are the symptoms of polio?
About 90 to 95 percent of people who do get infected with polio have no symptoms at all. Of those who do get the infection, 2 percent or fewer may develop paralytic disease. Symptoms may vary depending on the kind of polio and vary child-to-child.
The most common include:
- For abortive poliomyelitis
- Fever (up to 103º F)
- Decreased appetite
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Sore throat
- Not feeling well
- Constipation
- Abdominal pain
- For nonparalytic poliomyelitis
- Headache, nausea, and vomiting may be worse
- Child may feel sick for a couple of days, then appear to improve before getting sick again
- Pain of the muscles in the neck, trunk, arms, and legs
- Stiffness in the neck and along the spine
- For paralytic poliomyelitis
- The symptoms of nonparalytic and abortive poliomyelitis
- Muscle weakness all over
- Severe constipation
- Muscle wasting
- Weakened breathing
- Difficulty swallowing
- Weak cough
- Flushed or blotchy skin
- Hoarse voice
- Bladder paralysis
- Muscle paralysis
Polio | Diagnosis & Treatments
How is polio diagnosed?
In addition to a complete medical history and physical exam, your doctor may want to run a few tests including:
- Cultures (of the throat, urine, and stool)
- Lumbar puncture (spinal tap)
- A special needle is placed into the lower back, into the spinal canal
- Measures the pressure in the spinal canal and brain
- A small amount of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) can be removed and sent for testing to determine if there is an infection or other problems
- Not be recommended if your child is very ill
How is polio treated?
There's no cure for children who become infected with polio. The only thing you can do is to help improve your child's comfort and recovery.
Supportive treatment may include:
- Acetaminophen for fever or pain
- Plenty of rest (until fever is reduced)
- Adequate diet
- Minimal exertion and exercise
- Hot packs or heating pads (for muscle pain)
- Hospitalization (may be required for those individuals who develop paralytic poliomyelitis)
How Boston Children's Hospital approaches polio
The Children's Hospital Informatics Program created HealthMap, an online resource and smart phone app that helps track the spread of contagious diseases in real time, including polio.
