Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome

Also called: Infantile paralysis, Poliomyelitis, PPS

On this page

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

Start Here

Polio (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Polio Vaccination (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Post-Polio Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
Post-Polio Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

Late Effects of Polio: An Overview (Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network)

Prevention and Risk Factors

Polio and Prevention (World Health Organization)
Polio Vaccine (American Academy of Family Physicians)
Polio Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

Alternative Therapies (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) - PDF
Information about the Late Effects of Polio (Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network) Also in Spanish
Orthotics (Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network)
Poliomyelitis (World Health Organization) Also in Spanish
Wellness (Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network)

Related Issues

Cold Intolerance (Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network)
Travelers' Health: Poliomyelitis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Images

Polio Pictures (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Statistics and Research

Wild Poliovirus List (World Health Organization)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Poliomyelitis (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Also in Spanish
Post-Polio Directory 2014: Post-Polio Clinics, Health Professionals, Support Groups (Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network) - PDF
World Health Organization

Children

Polio (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Polio and the Vaccine (Shot) to Prevent It (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

Polio: Information for Parents (American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
Poliomyelitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

MedlinePlus Email Updates

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

Poliomyelitis

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.