POLIO
The Disease that Paralyzed the World
Polio, also known as poliomyelitis, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus.
Although major polio epidemics were unknown before the 20th century, the disease has likely been responsible for epidemics of paralysis and death for much of history with depictions of the disease in ancient art.
Polio has been described by many names including "infantile paralysis" or "the crippler" because children seemed to have been most affected by the crippling disease.
In 95% of cases, polio is asymptomatic or very mild with symptoms of fever, headache, sore throat, fatigue, and stiffness. In paralytic polio, the virus attacks nerve cells causing severe pain, muscle spasms, loss of muscle reflexes, and loose or floppy limbs. Fewer than 1-2% of people who contract polio become paralyzed. The paralysis can be temporary or permanent. In severe cases, the chest muscles can become paralyzed making it impossible to breath. Many survivors are disabled for life.
Poliovirus enters the body through the mouth, multiplying along its way through the digestive tract before being eliminated in feces. Poliovirus is highly contagious and easily spread in areas with poor hygiene through food and water contaminated with the feces of infected individuals. Because of a lack of sanitation, Polio tends to be an issue in developing countries.
The first known polio outbreak in Canada occurred in 1910. A young girl was taken to a hospital in Hamilton where doctors thought she had rabies. She died, and it was only later discovered that she had had polio. At the time, nobody knew if the disease was contagious or what, if anything, could be done to prevent or treat it. Polio epidemics continued over the years, with outbreaks occurring nearly every summer or fall. The disease seemed to get more severe with each outbreak, affecting children of all ages.
Provincial health departments closed schools, restricted children from travelling and attempted to quarantine the sick, even separating sick children from their families.