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WHAT IS POST POLIO SYNDROME

Post Polio Syndrome is a poorly understood condition that can affect people who have had polio in the past.

Polio is a viral infection that used to be common in the UK, but is now rare.

Most people who had Polio would have fought off the infection without even realising they were infected.

Some people with Polio would have had paralysis, muscle weakness and shrinking of the muscles. But usually, these problems would have either gone away over the following weeks or months, or remained the same for years afterwards.

Post Polio Syndrome is where some of these symptoms return or get worse many years or decades after the original polio infection.

SYMPTOMS OF POST POLIO SYNDROME

Post Polio Syndrome can include a wide range of symptoms that develop gradually over time, including:

persistent fatigue (extreme tiredness)
muscle weakness
shrinking muscles
muscle and joint pain
sleep apnoea

The condition can have a significant impact on everyday life, making it very difficult to get around and carry out certain tasks and activities. The symptoms tend to get gradually worse over many years, but this happens very slowly and treatment may help slow it down further.

Post Polio Syndrome is rarely life-threatening, although some people develop breathing and swallowing difficulties that can lead to serious problems, such as chest infections.

WHO'S AFFECTED

Post Polio Syndrome only affects people who've had polio. It usually develops 15 to 40 years after the infection.

The condition has become more common in the UK in recent years, because of the high number of Polio cases that occurred during the 1940s and 1950s, before routine vaccination was introduced. It's estimated that there are around 120,000 people living in the UK who survived Polio when they were younger. Some of these have, or will develop, Post Polio Syndrome.

It's not known exactly how many Polio survivors are or will be affected by Post Polio Syndrome. Estimates vary from as low as 15% to as high as 80%.

WHAT CAUSES POST-POLIO SYNDROME?

The exact cause of post Polio Syndrome is unclear. It's not known whether anything can be done to prevent it.

The leading theory is that it's the result of the gradual deterioration of nerve cells in the spinal cord (motor neurones) that were damaged by the Polio virus. This would explain why the condition can take years to appear.

Post Polio Syndrome isn't contagious. The theory that the Polio virus may lie dormant in your body, causing Post Polio Syndrome when it becomes reactivated at a later stage, has been disproven.

It's not clear why only some people who've had polio develop Post Polio Syndrome. Those who had severe Polio when they were younger may be more likely to develop the condition.

Contacts us: 0800 043 1935
Email us: info@britishpolio.org.uk

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Matthew Thomas
- Mar 29, 2021
- 2 min read

Polio Outbreak in Tajikistan

It is regret that we report on an outbreak of the vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Tajikistan. As of the date of reporting there have been four recorded cases among children with the first case occurring on 22nd November 2020 say the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Tajikistan is a Central Asian country with a population just below 10 million. A former state of the Soviet Union it became an independent sectarian state in 1991. Whilst reports are early it is possible that this could have been an indirect result of the global Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019 WHO and UNICEF estimated that there was a Polio immunisation coverage of 96% among children. However, in 2020 this is reported to of dropped to around 90%, an indication that this new outbreak is a direct result of this drop off.

In February, the country implemented a national vaccine catch up campaign to ensure that all children who had potentially missed the vaccine for the type 2 Polio virus we able to be vaccinated. On the 8th March the situation in Tajikistan was assessed by the WHO and the situation was declared a stage 2 emergency. This internal grading system by the WHO allows for emergency funding and support to be released to help combat the ongoing situation. WHO is further working closely in partnership with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and health authorities to prepare for a supplemental immunization campaign using the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to interrupt transmission of the type 2 virus.

Whilst across the globe we hear stories of how one virus is impacting the lives of billions we hope that this is not news of it aiding in the return of one as equally deadly, Polio.

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