Poliomyelitis

Julia Ott, Ryan OShea, Spencer Bradshaw

Biotechnology, Block Three

Structure
Genus: Enterovirus, Family: Picornaviridae
It is a small, icosahedral (20 sided) shaped,
positive sense RNA virus
3 types of the poliovirus: P1, P2, and P3
o P1 is the most virulent and common type
The virus can survive for days at room
temperature and for weeks at 4C.
The virus is heat resistant, tolerates an
acidic environment with a pH of 3-5 for up
to three hours, and is resistant to many
detergents and disinfectants (7)

Target Organism
Mainly affects children under five years of age (2)
Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan remain polio-endemic as of 2013 (2)
Travelers going to certain parts of Africa and Asia (3)

Mode of Infection
Transmitted Person-to-Person due to poor hygiene
Found in stool (virus thrives in intestines and in the tonsils) and can be
passed by not washing ones hands or drinking water which has been
contact with ones stool
Can be transmitted to foods, which if undercooked can infect whoever eats
it
Can be transmitted via skin contact
It can be passed person to person from the
respiratory route as well (5)

Symptoms

Initial symptoms include:

o

Fever

Fatigue

Headache

Vomiting

Stiffness in the neck

Pain in the limbs

Irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs) occurs every one in 200 infections

Among those paralysed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles become
immobilized (2)

Nature of the Lytic & Lysogenic Cycle

1. Virus enters the body orally from food or skin contact
2. Multiplies in gastrointestinal tract, attaching to intestinal cells with the cell surface
protein of poliovirus receptor (PVR).
3. Binds to the receptor and enters through endocytosis
4. Virus uncoats its RNA inside the cell
5. Functions as mRNA, which goes to ribosomes and is translated into a polyprotein
6. Polyprotein cut by proteases(peptidase) made in translation in order to inhibit protein
synthesis of host cell
7. An antisense copy of Polio RNA is made, which allows for the creation of new RNA
8. Packaged into capsids until cells lysis.
9. The new virus is unleashed into the bloodstream where it attacks the nervous
system OR causes mild flu like symptoms and is eventually destroyed
(7)

Precautions for Prevention

Get the polio vaccine
Practice cleanliness and
good hygiene
Get all of your necessary
vaccines when travelling
out of the country
Drink safe beverages
and eat safe foods (3)

DO NOT
DRINK

DO NOT EAT

Tap or well
water

Room temp.
food

Reconstituted
juice

Street vendor's
food

Flavored ice

Raw eggs and

meat

Unpasteurized
milk

Unwashed fruits
Unwashed
vegetables
Peelings

Actions Taken For Outbreak

The actions taken

for a Polio
outbreak are done
over a +25 day
period
WHO and Unicef
along with
laboratories are
mostly
responsible for the
acts done leading
up to the
campaign

Current Events
Due to the Syrian Civil War, Polio has been
found in children in war torn neighborhoods (1)
Polio was found in Israeli sewage
pipes (1)
In Arabic countries,
parents refuse to
vaccinate children
against disease (4)
Fear it could spread to
European countries like the
Ukraine and Austria due to a
lack of vaccinations (1)

Sources

Information
o 1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24854920
o 2. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs114/en/
o 3. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/poliomyelitits
o 4. http://www.dawn.com/news/1060571/47099-children-miss-polio-vaccine-because-of-parents
o 5. http://www.austincc.edu/microbio/2704u/pv1.htm
o 6. http://www.polioeradication.org/portals/0/document/resources/strategywork/eap_201205.pdf
o 7. http://www.austincc.edu/microbio/2704x/pol.htm
o 8.
http://www.polioeradication.org/Portals/0/Document/Resources/PolioEradicators/1a.PolioOutbreakGuideline201101
07.pdf

Pictures
o http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/7.10031.1366111064!/image/polio-map.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape
_630/polio-map.jpg
o http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Polio_vaccine_poster.jpg/220px-Polio_vaccine
_poster.jpg
o www2.cedarcrest.edu/academic/bio/hale/bioT_EID/lectures/poliolifecycle.html
o http://thumbs.ifood.tv/files/images/editor/images/raw%20beef(1).jpg
o http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Polio.jpg/220px-Polio.jpg