Can Polio Be Cured?

Bumisuka.com – Can Polio Be Cured?. Some time ago the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) determined the status of an Extraordinary Event or polio outbreak as a result of the discovery of polio cases.

Based on the results of further examinations on children aged less than 5 years living in the vicinity of the polio case, the Ministry of Health found three children positive for polio virus without symptoms of sudden paralysis.

Polio is said to cause serious symptoms, namely paralysis. Can polio be cured? Here’s the explanation!

1. Get to know polio

Polio is a disease caused by the polio virus. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that most people infected with the polio virus do not experience severe symptoms. Meanwhile, others experience more serious symptoms that can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing meningitis and paralysis.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also states that 1 in 200 infections can cause permanent paralysis. Usually, paralysis occurs in the legs. Some of them died because paralysis occurred in the respiratory muscles.

2. The cause of polio

Quoting the explanation from the Sub-Directorate for Emerging Infectious Diseases of the Ministry of Health, polio is caused by the polio virus which belongs to the enterovirus group of the Picornaviridae family. There are three wild poliovirus strains, namely types 1, 2, and 3.

The website of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) states that the polio virus is transmitted via the faecal-oral route. In addition, the polio virus can also be transmitted through contaminated water and food.

WHO explains that the polio virus can enter the body through the mouth and multiply in the intestines. Furthermore, the virus will attack the nervous system so that it can cause paralysis.

3. Who is at high risk of contracting polio?

The polio virus is highly contagious. Children aged less than 5 years are more susceptible to polio. Even so, all ages are also at risk of contracting it if they haven’t been vaccinated.

A person who does not have polio immunization is at high risk of contracting polio. In addition, someone who undergoes immunization but is not complete is also at risk of contracting polio.

4. Can polio be cured?

There is no medicine to cure paralytic polio or paralytic polio. Although it cannot be cured, the disease can be prevented by polio immunization.

According to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, dr. Mohammad Syahril, SpP, MPH, complete polio immunization, both bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) drip immunization (bOPV) and inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) injection immunization can prevent polio. In addition to immunization, implementing a clean and healthy lifestyle (PHBS) is also the second key in preventing transmission of polio.

5. Treatment of polio

Polio is a dangerous disease for children because it can cause permanent paralysis and there is no cure. Quoting an explanation from the Mayo Clinic, treatment of polio only focuses on reducing symptoms, accelerating recovery, and preventing complications.

Supportive care can include pain relief, a ventilator to help with breathing, and physical therapy to prevent deformity and loss of muscle function. Heat therapy and physical therapy can stimulate the muscles. WHO says that this treatment can help improve mobility, but cannot restore permanent paralysis due to polio.

There is no cure for permanent paralysis due to polio, so it cannot be cured. Handling is done only to reduce symptoms, speed up recovery, and prevent complications. Therefore, it is important to make efforts to prevent polio by completing polio immunization and implementing PHBS.