Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome Also called: Infantile paralysis, PPS, Poliomyelitis Summary Polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus. The virus lives in an infected person’s throat and intestines. It is most often spread by contact with the stool of an infected person. You can also get it from droplets if an infected person sneezes or coughs. It can contaminate food and water if people do not wash their hands. Most people have no symptoms. If you have symptoms, they may include fever, fatigue, nausea, headache, flu-like symptoms, stiff neck and back, and pain in the limbs. A few people will become paralyzed. There is no treatment to reverse the paralysis of polio. Some people who’ve had polio develop post-polio syndrome (PPS) years later. Symptoms include tiredness, new muscle weakness, and muscle and joint pain. There is no way to prevent or cure PPS. The polio vaccine has wiped out polio in the United States and most other countries. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Treatments and Therapies Alternative Therapies Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Poliomyelitis National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome National Institutes of Health Related Issues Cold Intolerance Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network Living With Coughing Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network Home Ventilator Guide Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network Information about the Late Effects of Polio Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network Orthotics Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network Poliomyelitis World Health Organization Wellness Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network Diagnosis and Tests Late Effects of Polio: An Overview Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network Find an Expert National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Post-Polio Directory 2014: Post-Polio Clinics, Health Professionals, Support Groups Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network World Health Organization World Health Organization Start Here Polio Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Polio and Prevention World Health Organization Polio Vaccination Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Post-Polio Syndrome National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Post-Polio Syndrome Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Post-Polio Syndrome National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Children Polio (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Polio – Fact Sheet for Parents Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Images Polio Pictures Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Prevention and Risk Factors Polio Vaccine: What You Need to Know Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Travelers’ Health: Poliomyelitis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Patient Handouts Polio: Information for Parents Array Array Poliomyelitis Journal Articles Polio Postpolio Syndrome Statistics and Research Wild Poliovirus Cases World Health Organization
