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Cause:
Poliovirus, a member of the enterovirus subgroup, family
Picornaviridae. Three serotypes, P1, P2, and P3 (and the
related live oral vaccine strains), can cause disease.
Illness and treatment:
Over 90% of infections are asymptomatic and 4-8% are minor
illnesses. Nonparalytic aseptic meningitis with full
recovery occurs in 1-2% of infections. Fewer than 1% of
infections result in flaccid paralysis. Treatment is
supportive.
Sources:
Humans are the reservoir.
Transmission is mainly through the fecal-oral route. Virus
may be present in the stool of an infected person for 3-6
weeks.
Additional risks:
Travel by susceptible persons to the few countries where
polio is still endemic or to countries still routinely using
oral polio vaccine can increase the risk of becoming
infected.
Prevention:
Universal immunization prevents infection. Only inactivated
polio vaccine – which can prevent paralysis, but does not
provide intestinal immunity – is now used in this country.
Recent Washington trends:
The last
naturally acquired infection with wild-type polio virus was
in 1977. In 1993, a case of vaccine-associated paralytic
polio occurred in a state resident after a family member
received live oral polio vaccine, which is no longer used in
this country.
2008:
No cases were reported.
Purpose of Reporting and
Surveillance
- To identify cases of polio.
- To prevent transmission of polio.
- To distinguish between wild-type polio and
vaccine-associated paralytic polio.
Legal Reporting Requirements
- Health care providers: immediately notifiable to
Local Health Jurisdiction
- Hospitals: immediately notifiable to Local Health
Jurisdiction
- Laboratories: no requirements for reporting
- Local health jurisdictions: immediately notifiable to
DOH Communicable Disease Epidemiology (CDES): 1-877-539-4344
Last
update
November 2009 |
