POLIO

Polio, also known as poliomyelitis, or infantile paralysis, is a transmissible disease caused by the poliovirus. While majority of the cases have no symptoms, approximately a quarter of infected individuals may experience a fever and a sore throat. A small minority would feel muscle weakness, usually in their legs, though they usually recover within one to two weeks. There is no known cure for polio, and affected individuals would be given relief or physical therapy for their symptoms. Polio can be prevented with a vaccine. The polio vaccine was developed in the 20th century by Jonas Salk, an American virologist.