Question

Download an article about poliomyelitis, meningitis and red tide poisoning and make a reflection essay. (choose one). Submit in 200-300 words.

Answer 1

Poliomyelitis

Introduction

Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious disease caused by enterovirus. This is a disease of digestive tract but since it is affects brain ,spinal cord and other nervous tissue,it may cause paralysis and deformity..Poliyovirus is an RNA virus with three distinct serotypes they are poliovirus 1 , 2 and 3. This disease is mainly affect the children below the age of 5 years.Man is the only reservoir and natural host of the virus . The probability of the infection increase depends up on the dirty ,over crowded place , and where the personal health is neglected. The poliovirus remain in the stool of the infected person ,for a few week to 3 months. moreover it can be found in the throat secreation in the first week of disease and can infect water, milk , food and other substances. their consumption leads to entry of infection to digestive tract.The spread of disease is mainly through faecal- oral contamination

The viruses multiplies in the intestine , if there is no local tissue immunity against the infection.It then travel to the regional lymph nodes and reticulo endothelial structure.There are certain antibodies produced during this time ,as a result this specific type antibodies are produced in the blood and in to the gut .. if the immune response is adequate and fast the virus is neutralizesd and the illness is aborted. If the infection kept untreated the polioviruses damage motor and autonomic nervous system.The most commonly affected area are the anterior horn of the spinal cord vestibular and cranial nerve nuclei and vital centre in the medulla.

The incubation period of poliomyelitis is 7 to 14 days. most infections are asymptomatics. There are three type of clinical manifestation they are

- Abortive poliomyelitis --- In this case the symptoms observed are ,upper respiratory tract infection ,gastero intestinal tract disturbance ,like(nausea ,vomitting ,abdominal pain ,constipation or diarrhoea),influenza like infections.This condition the patient recovered less than one week.

-Non paralytic poliomyelitis---In this case about 1-2% of polio infections leads to non paralytic aseptic meningitis.The symptoms shows stiffness of the neck ,back ,or leg .These symptoms last for 2 to 10 days

-paralytic poliomyelitius -- paralytic symptoms begin 1 to 10 days after minor illness symptoms and progress for 2 to 3 days there is a weakness , paralysis or reduced muscle tone .Usually no further paralysis occur after the temperature return to normal but paralysis and weakness still persist . then they become permanent handicapped.

This disease can be diagnosed based on the history and clinical manifestation ,the test includes Throat secreation or stool examination , virus isolation from CSF , CSF examination , serological examination etc . Since there is no specific treatment for the disease the symptomatic treatment is given. Giving polio drops according to the national immunization programme is the best treatment. There are two type of vaccine available Inactivated polio vaccine and Oral polio vaccine .The inactivated polio vaccine is given by injection and oral polio vaccine is given in the form of polio drops.