What causes polio? ... Polio is spread through the feces or mucus of people infected with the virus. In about 1 in 200 cases, people who have polio become ...SkipNavigationImportantUpdates:RecallonPhilipsRespironicsmedicaldevices|COVID-19vaccinationsPhilipsRespironicsissuedarecallforsomeCPAPandBiLevelPAPdevicesandmechanicalventilators.Learnmore. COVID-19:Wearevaccinatingpatientsages12+.Learnmore:Vaccines&3rdDoses|Testing|PatientCare|VisitorGuidelines|Coronavirus|Self-Checker|EmailAlertsHealthHomeConditionsandDiseasesPolio(Poliomyelitis)FacebookTwitterLinkedinPinterestPrintBrain,NervesandSpineInfectiousDiseasesBrainTumorWhatispolio?PreviousgenerationsofAmericanshadreasontofearpoliomyelitis,mostoftencalledpolio.Thedisease,whichisspreadbyavirus,cancauseparalysis.ThediseaseisnowrareintheU.S.becauseofavaccineagainstthevirus.However,poliostillexistsinafewcountries.Peoplewhohavenotbeenvaccinatedcangetitwhiletravelingtoaregionwherethediseasestillhappens.Poliocantakeseveraldifferentforms:Inapparentpolio.Mostcasesarethistype.Whenpeoplehavethisform,theydon'thavesymptoms.Buttheycanstillpassthevirusontootherpeople.Caseswithmildsymptoms.Peoplewiththisformmayhaveamildillnesswithsymptomssimilartothosefromtheflu.Buttheillnessdoesn'tappeartoaffectthebrain.Peoplewiththisformusuallyrecoverwithinaweek.Paralyticpolio.Thistypeincludesweaknessthatdevelopsquicklyandturnsintoparalysis.Whatcausespolio?Polioisspreadthroughthefecesormucusofpeopleinfectedwiththevirus.Inabout1in200cases,peoplewhohavepoliobecomeparalyzed.Theparalysisusuallyaffectsthelegs,anditispermanent.Poliousuallyaffectschildrenunderage5.Thediseaseismorecommoninthesummerandthefall.Whatraisesmyriskforpolio?Youareatincreasedriskforpolioifyou:HavenotreceivedthepoliovaccinationWereexposedtosomeoneinfectedwiththevirusWhatarethesymptomsofpolio?Poliocancauseavarietyofsymptoms.Dependingontheseverityofthecase,thesecaninclude:FeverFatigueVomitingHeadacheNeckstiffnessPaininthearmsandlegsWeaknessParalysisDifficultybreathing,swallowing,orsp