Polio and Parallysis

[Amatullah0]

So, I was reading the CDC's website(actually, trying to determine if they would say if I "needed" a HepB booster by now(I was "up to date" on it in 2005) and am considering entering the field of nursing... but anyhow, I got distracted and noticed on their polio page, they state that though polio is rare, and less than 1% experience paralysis, and those "less than 1%" may experience paralysis or death from the disease. It struck me, because of my husband's view on polio. ds got 2 polio shots, because dh is convinced its common and terrible(and because we plan to go to pakistan to visit family one day, and its more common there). and he cites all of the people he knows who were paralyzed from it.

my question is, are there certain things that make paralysis more common? genetic factors, situational factors(like how they treat their polio)?

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Amatullah0

my question is, are there certain things that make paralysis more common? genetic factors, situational factors(like how they treat their polio)?

Age appears to be a major factor (from 1995):

Only 1 to 2% of all those infected develop paralysis. Finally, the rate of paralysis varies with the strain of the virus and the patient's age. In children, paralysis occurs in 1/1000 cases, while in adults 1/75 develop paralysis.

[CherryBomb]

1-2% doesn't sound like a lot, but if a huge portion of the population is infected, it's going to seem like a lot of people. If your dh comes from a country with a moderate to high infection rate, he probably does know quite a few people who are paralyzed from polio.

I didn't realize that paralysis affected adults more frequently. My paternal grandfather contracted polio as a young adult and was paralyzed from the waist down from it.

[EVC]

my question is, are there certain things that make paralysis more common?

Well, that's the point of the vaccine used in the US. It is not meant to prevent polio transmission (unlike the live oral vaccine used in much of the world, but no longer used in the US because of the number of cases of polio it actually CAUSED), it is only designed to prevent possible paralysis from polio. At least that is my understanding--someone please correct me, if I'm wrong.

I think part of understanding polio today is differentiating polio caused by the wild virus and polio caused by the live vaccine, particularly in areas without regular access to clean drinking water--contaminated water supply is a big source of transmission. Also communities where HIV rates are high are more susceptible because the immunocompromised can more easily contract it from people carrying the active virus.

Again, if I have not gotten this correct, please correct.

[ema-adama]

There is a series on polio here.

And more info on the IPV and OPV here.

The treatment of polio is certainly important for the outcomes. Putting children in plaster for weeks/months does not help the prognosis. I have read conflicting reports on whether this treatment is still in use in areas where there are still outbreaks of polio.

I think polio is probably the most complex VPD. The history of the disease and the vaccine is far more difficult to unravel than for more modern vaccines and their diseases.

I also recommend going through the archives here on MDC.

[serenbat]

my question is, are there certain things that make paralysis more common? genetic factors, situational factors(like how they treat their polio)?

I would love to know this one! can't find info---I know of a family that only ONE out of three got it-why the other's didn't??? and I know they have wondered over the years and know of no other research being done as to why--all are still alive and I think it would make for interest as to why the other two didn't get it (not to mention the parents - the mother worked with polio children at the time too as a nurse)-why some get it and other's do not given the same relative health at the time of contraction.