Poliomyelitisisaninfectioncausedbyenterovirus,whichoccursepidemicallyworld-wide,andwhichoftenleadstoparalysisanddeath.Threetypesofhuman-pathogenicpoliomyelitisvirusesareactuallyknown:
Type1(Brunhilde):oftenwithseveresymptoms
Type2(Lansing):withmildersymptoms
Type3(Leon):rare,butwithseveresymptoms
Poliovirusesmainlyproliferateinthelymphnodesoftheintestine,andareexcretedviafeces.Thethroatcanalsobeinfected,andthevirusesthenleavethebodyorally.Aftertheinfection,thevirusesaredistributedviamonocytesintootherlymphnodes,wheretheymultiplicate.Inasecondviremicphasetheysettleinthewholeorganism,amongstothersinthecentralnervoussystem.Inmorethan90%oftheinfectionsthepatientdoesnotsufferanysubjectivesymptoms.Intheremainingothercasesthereappear:unspecificillnesswithslightfever,headandthroatirritations,diarrhoea,nausea,andvomiting.Veryrarelytheclassicalparalysiswithafflictionofmusclesandcerebralnervesisseen.Thereconvalescentphasecanlastuptotwoyears,frequentlytherestaylong-lastingdamages.Thereexistsnotreatmentofthedisease,onlysymptomatictherapywithacetylsalicylicacidandgymnasticsispossIBLe.InmanycountriesoftheAsiaticareapoliomyelitisisstillendemic,butWHOhasstartedambitiousprojectstoerADIcatethedisease.InEuropethereexistcaseswhichareimportedbytourists,sometimeswithlethaloutcome.Thediagnosisofpoliomyelitisisperformedbydirectdetectionoftheinfectiousagentinstoolorthroatwashingsduringtheincubationtimeofthevirus,orbydeterminationofantibodiesintheblood.Thelatterisusuallydonebytheneutralisationtest,wheretiterdifferencesofpairedseraagainstthethreevirustypesaremeasuredseparately.OnlyrecentlyaPoliomyelitisIgGELISAassaywasdevelopedinanalogytoDiphtheriaandTetanus,whichcandetectantibodiesagainstthethreetypesofPoliosimultaneously.ThisSEROlogicalresponsecanbeduetoapastillnessortoimmunitybyvaccination.