Types of Polio

Polio is short for Poliomyelitis and is caused by a virus that falls under Enterovirus C family. It is contagious, and people need to be protected from acquiring infections. Polio vaccination is the best protection against the disease. There are two main types of polio which are the Non-Paralytic and Paralytic type of polio. Paralytic type is further classified into two types. About 60 percent of the people acquire Post Polio Syndrome that develops over the years. 

The first type is Non-Paralytic polio. It is called abortive polio and people who contract it do not show evident symptoms of polio. Patients with this type of infection often show symptoms like fever, vomiting, back pain, headache and neck pain. It is difficult to diagnose and often overlooked. Sometimes, the virus may affect the nervous system, in that case, stiffness in your back and neck are evident symptoms of non-paralytic polio. However, patients are not paralyzed in this type of polio.

The second type is the Paralytic polio which is a severe condition. However, only a few individuals are affected by this type. The virus directly affects the central nervous system and destroys the nerve cells. The motor cells are also ruptured, and thus, the effective functioning of the brain and coordination is ruptured.  In this case, patients are paralyzed. Patients with paralytic polio often show a loss in reflexes, loose limbs and stiff muscles. It is further classified as:

• Bulbar polio in which the virus attacks the medulla as a result of which there is a thick nervous accumulation. It leads to difficulty in swallowing and leads to a severe health condition. 
• Spinal polio is a type in which the infection localizes in the spinal cord. High spinal polio affects the muscles controlling breathing while the low spinal polio affects the lower limbs.

These are the main types of polio and protection against this disease is necessary to avoid the disease from spreading. This can also revert after years of recovery and hence, preventing the infection using polio vaccines is crucial. 

Click on this link to know more about the types of Polio and other important vaccines for your child – https://www.mfine.co/vaccination-chart-for-babies-in-india/