The History of Poliomyelitis Essay - 1749 Words

Public awareness of and concern for persons with disabilities was virtually non-existent until the poliomyelitis epidemic during the mid-twentieth century focused attention on the plight of disabled Americans. As the epidemiology of the disease evolved, poliomyelitis, polio for short, evolved from a disease of poor immigrants, living in crowded, filthy conditions to an affliction that struck across the social strata affecting the middle and upper classes. Pervasive fear of polio and its consequences coupled with the President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s, public struggle with the disease and its complications propelled the fight against polio and its associated disabilities to the national forefront. Through efforts†¦show more content†¦Poliovirus in the nervous system leads to paralytic polio—the most devastating form of the disease. The onset of paralysis can be rapid, but the severity depends on the number of neurons affected. There i s no cure for the disease, and victims may be left with permanent consequences from their illness. Post-polio syndrome may affect polio survivors, even those with benign initial manifestations, years after recovery from their initial insult. Although rarely life-threatening, post-polio syndrome results in weakening of previously affected muscles causing significant interference with the individuals ability to function independently. Polio in the United States: FDR, public awareness and development of the vaccine. By the early twentieth century, there were major polio epidemics in Europe and the United States. People exposed to poliovirus were conferred immunity even if they were asymptomatic. Improvements in sanitation resulted in reduced fecal contamination of water and food sources, thereby diminishing exposure to the poliovirus and decreasing immunity. As the nation challenged itself to improve the living conditions for its citizens, it unintentionally led to the epidemic spread of polio. The disease once considered an affliction of the poor who lived in crowded, filthy tenements, now affected all elements of theShow MoreRelatedThe History of Poliomyelitis Better Known as Polio843 Words   |  3 PagesThe disease poliomyelitis is more commonly known by its alternative name â€Å"polio.† The history of this disease dates back into prehistory, but major polio epidemics were not known before the twentieth century. The first clinical description of this disease was provided by a Britis h physician named Michael Underwood, in which he described the disease as debility of the lower extremities. In the 1880s major epidemics started to occur in Europe, then made its way soon after into the United States. TheRead MoreWhat Is Poliomyelitis?1564 Words   |  6 PagesWHAT IS POLIO? 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It has taken many people’s lives throughout the course of history. The virus’s shape is a circular-shaped agent which has spikes sticking out of various areas of this virus. Some interesting facts about this dangerous virus is that in the early and mid 1900s, there were at least 5,000-10,000 deaths per year, and v accines didn’t come out until the 1950s. Also, today almost every countryRead MoreTaking a Look at Polio1546 Words   |  6 PagesINTRODUCTION Polio (poliomyelitis) is a viral disease also referred to as infantile paralysis. It is an infectious, potentially fatal disease for which there is no known existing cure. This paper discusses the causes, transmission, symptoms and prevention of polio. Further, it addresses the challenges involved in eradicating Polio and suggests efforts to wipe out this disease. The word â€Å"poliomyelitis† is derived from the Greek word, ‘polios’, meaning grey, and myelà ³s for â€Å"marrow†, which refersRead MoreEssay on Polio Vaccine633 Words   |  3 PagesPoliomyelitis (shortened to polio) has been around for thousands of years, and there is still no cure, but at the peak of its devastation in the United States, Dr. Jonas Salk introduced a way to prevent it. Polio attacks the nerve cells and sometimes the central nervous system, causing muscle wasting, paralysis, and even death. The disease, whose symptoms are flu like, stuck mostly children, and in the first half of the 20th century the epidemics of polio were becoming more devastating. SalkRead MorePolio : A Infectious Viral Disease1718 Words   |  7 Pages1.0 Understanding Biology 1.1 Introduction Poliomyelitis, also known as Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that directly invades the nervous system and can cause permanent paralysis (WHO, 2015). The causative agent for Polio is the poliovirus, which is a single strand RNA. Polio is transmitted through faecal-oral contact and is usually found in places with very low sanitation (Victoria State Gov. 2007). Another mode of transmission is coming into direct contact with someone who is infected