Polio Trivia Quiz Questions and Answers
What is Polio?
A: Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an infectious
disease caused by the polio virus.
Approximately what percentage of infections cause no
symptoms?
A: 90% to 95%.
Another 5 to 10% of people have minor symptoms such as
what?
A: Fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, neck stiffness and pains in the arms and
legs.
These people are usually back to normal within how long?
A: One or two weeks.
In about 0.5% of cases there is muscle weakness resulting
what?
A: In an inability to move.
The muscle weakness can occur over a few hours to how long?
A: A few days.
The weakness most often involves the legs but may less
commonly involve the muscles of the what?
A: Head, neck and diaphragm.
Many but not all people what?
A: Fully recover.
In those with muscle weakness about 2% to 5% of children
and 15% to 30% of adults do what?
A: Die.
Years after recovery post-polio syndrome may occur, with a
what?
A: A slow development of muscle weakness similar to what the person had during
the initial infection.
How is Polio virus usually spread from person to person?
A: Through infected feces entering the mouth.
It may also be spread by
food or water containing what?
A: Human feces and less commonly from infected saliva.
Those who are infected may spread the disease even if no
symptoms are present for up to how long?
A: Six weeks.
The disease may be diagnosed by finding the virus in the
feces or detecting what?
A: Antibodies against it in the blood.
The disease is preventable with the polio vaccine; however,
a number of doses are required for it to what?
A: Be effective.
Who does the United States Center for Disease Control
recommend polio vaccination boosters for?
A: Travelers and those who live in countries where the disease is occurring.
Once infected there is no specific what?
A: Treatment.
In 2013 polio affected how many people down from 350,000
cases in 1988.?
A: 416.
In 2014 the diseases was only spreading between people in
what countries?
A: Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan.
Poliomyelitis has existed for how long?
A: Thousands of years, with depictions of the disease in ancient art.
The disease was first recognized as a distinct condition by
whom?
A: Michael Underwood in 1789.
The virus that causes polio was first identified in 1908 by
whom?
A: Karl Landsteiner.
Where did major outbreaks start to occur in the late 19th
century?
A: In Europe and the United States.
When was the first polio vaccine developed?
A: In the 1950s by Jonas Salk.
It is hoped that vaccination efforts and early detection of
cases will result in global eradication of the disease by when?
A: 2018.
The virus enters the central nervous system in about what
percentage of infections?
A: 1%.
Encephalitis, an infection of the
brain tissue itself, can
occur in rare cases, and is usually restricted to what?
A: Infants.
What do people who are exposed to the virus, either through
infection or by immunization with polio vaccine, develop?
A: Immunity.
