The different types of poliomyelitis ( polio in its abbreviated form) are infectious diseases that mainly affect the nervous system of people. As reported by international sources, such as the World Health Organization, this pathology is caused by the poliovirus, a viral agent composed of RNA and a protein capsule.
According to various studies, three serotypes (different varieties) have been distinguished. Serotype 2 was last detected in India in 1999, so it is considered eradicated from the wild. Even so, variants 1 and 3 are still circulating in the population today. Both are highly infectious and cause paralytic polio.
About polio and its distribution
The World Health Organization reports certain figures that allow us to get an idea of the poliovirus situation globally. Some of them are the following:
In 1988, when the campaign to fight this disease began, more than 350,000 cases were detected globally.
Due to containment and vaccination efforts, only 18 cases were reported worldwide in 2018 (a 99% reduction).
This pathology has a favorite age group, since it affects mainly children under five years of age.
As we can see, polio is a disease almost of the past. Even so, care must be taken, since it is estimated that if the virus is not eradicated from the last strongholds, more than 200,000 new cases could be produced in less than 10 years.
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