Polio is eradicated worldwide almost, but only almost! The infectious disease even in the 21st century. Century, in some countries, more insistent. Every case of Polio can trigger a new epidemic.
The only effective protection against Poliomyelitis, in short Polio, the vaccination, and it is the only way to eradicate the Virus. But it’s not that simple. “The ur-original goal was the eradication of Poliomyelitis by the year 2000,” says Sabine Diedrich Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Berlin. “Then shifted further and further”. Next, there was a five-year plan. The supply from 2013 to 2018. “In this period, it should be finally managed to eradicate Polio,” says the Virologist. But that is still the last, small step.
Read more: Polio – an infectious disease
Prospectus for the issue of Polio in Pakistan – one of the three countries, the Polio-are not yet free
A Sisyphean Task
Had started the WHO is your program exactly 30 years ago, and she has achieved a lot. Currently, there are still three countries where polio could not be eradicated. The are Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria. In the African country it had been for a long time no polio cases. In 2015, it was already been declared Polio-free. However, a year later, four cases occurred again.
Four cases of Polio that doesn’t sound like much in a country with 175 million inhabitants and an area as large as Germany and France. But each Polio-Infected is a risk. Nigeria came back to the list of endemic countries. There it is.
Number of reported polio cases
The invisible danger
The Fatal when polio virus is that the disease may not be initially visible and quickly spreads. “The risk that the Polio comes back to Germany, is given,” said Diedrich. “Because viruses know sorry, there are no limits.” The globalization, the people’s desire to travel, but also the migration movements increase the risk that the Virus and hence the disease could be introduced.
A barrel without a bottom
In comparison to Polio, the eradication of smallpox was even relatively easy, because each of the Infected diseased. These people could be isolated and so you had a much better handle than in the case of Polio. Because the Infected are there to identify, it is often difficult.
Sabine Diedrich is head of the National reference centre for Poliomyelitis and enteroviruses at RKI
Of Polio only a Person gets below 200 Infected. “If I see a single Person, the Polio has, can I assume that there are at least a further 200 people who show no symptoms, but the Virus and pass it on.”
In many countries, the oral Polio vaccine is used. It contains Live attenuated Vaccines that activate an immune response in the body. This live virus multiplies in the intestine. For the Vaccinated the advantage that – unlike in the case of a Dead vaccine is also formed a so-called intestinal immunity.
But also a risk: During this time, the Patient excretes the vaccine Virus. In areas with insufficient immunity of the population spread of this excreted Vaccine virus.
The Hygiene is in any case to contain is a crucial factor to Polio, the most common mode of Transmission is via contaminated hands. So, the virus from man to man is the only Reservoir for polio virus. The Consistent vaccination is for the scientist from the RKI, the only promising measure.
Here you can read more about the consequences of a Polio-disease: The Post-Polio syndrome
Vaccination is the only effective protection against polio infection
Symptoms
The first symptoms of the disease usually occur after a few days, but first of all, atypical. There is a slight, common cold, almost like a summer flu, with a fever. Then a Phase in which the people are doing relatively well.
The Iron lung in the 1950s was a life-saver for Polio Sufferers
But then a second thrust. “That is why one speaks in the case of Polio also of a bi-phasic course,” explains Diedrich. “First paralysis can occur after ten to twenty days.” It comes to so-called acute, flaccid paralysis of the extremities, in the legs and in the arms. In rare cases, the respiratory muscles can be affected. Then the Patient must be ventilated. To do this he must. however, already for a long time in the Iron lung in the 1950s This was, at the time of the first clinical device of this kind, and Many of the Sick had to spend her whole life in this prison made of steel.
Good, but still not good enough
The vaccination campaigns are very successful. Since 2000, worldwide, more than ten billion doses of vaccine have been administered to nearly three billion children. Worldwide, the vaccination rates have increased. At the same time, the number has decreased polio cases. 30 years ago there were approximately 350,000 cases per year. Every day ill 1000 children with Polio.
In recent years there are well under 100 per year. Last year, 22 disease cases were registered, this year there are worldwide 20. “We are here at the Robert Koch Institute continues to be very optimistic that Polio can be eradicated in the next few years. As long as it is somewhere only a single case, it can be also very fast, again, more”, is Diedrich convinced. The first commandment is: vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate!
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Warning, it is contagious!Beautiful, but dangerous
Especially for small children and the elderly flu viruses are dangerous. With the naked eye you can’t see it. But you realize quickly when you are: fever, chills, body aches, headache and cough. The viruses consist of not much more than a protein shell and a small genome strand.
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Warning, it is contagious!No Banality
A possible flu pandemic makes the people afraid. Because they can be dangerous. In the case of the Spanish flu (1918-1920) killed more than 25 million people. Including many 20-Year to 40. Many died of pneumonia. Here, too, the flu, the H1N1 virus was to blame.
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Warning, it is contagious!What helps?
In the case of a virus, the doctor will fight the flu usually only the symptoms of: cough syrup and prescribe analgesics, antipyretic agents, or ensure that the Patient can sleep. For severe cases, however, there are antiviral drugs: they inhibit the replication of the Virus in the body.
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Warning, it is contagious!Tricky Vaccine Production
Against the flu can get vaccinated. However, the influenza virus changes by Mutation very quickly. Each year, therefore, developed a new vaccine under strictly sterile conditions. It consists of inactivated virus of the three strains of virus that are in the year, particularly common particles.
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Warning, it is contagious!Influenza virus from chicken embryos
Some vaccine manufacturers to multiply the influenza virus in fertilized chicken eggs. Because flu viruses also birds attacked the incubated hen’s egg is used as a primitive bird rate. One gets the virus for the vaccine from the developing chicken embryo. A hen’s egg is sufficient for a single Dose.
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Warning, it is contagious!Swine flu
Influenza viruses also infect pigs and cause them respiratory problems. Also, the Virus subtype H1N1. It infests many species of mammals, including humans. In 2009 there was a pandemic a swine flu virus.
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Warning, it is contagious!Panic – not only in Hong Kong
The swine flu spread in 2009 from Mexico and the United States to over 200 countries. Especially in South Asia, East Africa, and South America, many people sufferers. According to the world health organization, more than 18,000 people have died worldwide from the effects of the swine flu.
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Warning, it is contagious!Threat Of Bird Flu
Flu viruses can also infect birds. Veterinarians speak then of avian influenza, but this is only another word for bird flu. Basically, each Influenza A Virus strain bird can trigger the flu, he needs to adapt only to birds as a host. The best-known types of H5N1, H7N9 and H5N8. The types H5N1 and H7N9 can be transmitted under certain circumstances, to the people.
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Warning, it is contagious!And finally,
Hands the best prevention against the flu virus is to wash. First of all, you should not touch with unwashed fingers to the eyes and nose – so you can get that easily with pathogens.