What tests are done to diagnose polio?

Doctors often recognize polio by symptoms, such as neck and back stiffness, abnormal reflexes, and difficulty swallowing and breathing. To confirm the diagnosis, a sample of throat secretions, stool or a colorless fluid that surrounds your brain and spinal cord (cerebrospinal fluid) is checked for poliovirus.

What are the differential diagnosis of poliomyelitis?

Other entities misdiagnosed as poliomyelitis were: osteoarticular trauma, myopathies and dystrophies, viral myositis, acute cerebellitis, retroperitoneal tumors and upper motor neuron syndromes. Viral studies in stool specimens are essential for the diagnosis of poliomyelitis.

Is there a blood test for polio immunity?

The Polio Titer test is used to check for immunity to Polio. Polio is a viral disease that affects the nervous system and can cause partial or full paralysis. This test provides antibody levels for Poliovirus type 1 and 3.

How was polio identified?

Karl Landsteiner and Erwin Popper discovered poliovirus in 1908 by proving that it was not a bacterium that caused the paralysis, but a much smaller entity—a virus.

Is polio A virus bacteria or fungi?

Polio is a viral infection that can cause paralysis and death in its most severe forms. It can spread easily from person to person.

What are the complications of poliomyelitis?

Complications of Polio Symptoms

  • Inflammation of the heart muscle (Myocarditis)
  • High blood pressure (Hypertension)
  • Fluid in the lungs (Pulmonary edema)
  • Pneumonia.
  • Urinary tract infections (UTIs)

What causes Guillain-Barré syndrome?

Guillain-Barré syndrome is thought to be caused by a problem with the immune system, the body’s natural defence against illness and infection. Normally the immune system attacks any germs that get into the body. But in people with Guillain-Barré syndrome, something goes wrong and it mistakenly attacks the nerves.

Where can I get a titer test?

MinuteClinic® providers are trained to perform titer testing to confirm immunity. A titer lab report can identify the different kinds and levels of antibodies present in a person’s bloodstream, which can indicate immunity to particular diseases.

What is the difference between polio and poliomyelitis?

Note that “poliomyelitis” (or “polio” for short) is defined as the paralytic disease. So only people with the paralytic infection are considered to have the disease. Polio has been around since ancient times.

What happens when you get polio?

Polio is a contagious viral illness that in its most severe form causes nerve injury leading to paralysis, difficulty breathing and sometimes death. In the U.S., the last case of naturally occurring polio was in 1979.

What are the signs and symptoms of polio?

Polio Symptoms. Common signs and symptoms of polio symptoms include fever, sore throat, and nausea. Symptoms usually appear 7 to 14 days after a person becomes infected with the poliovirus. Up to 95 percent of people who are infected with poliovirus will have no symptoms.

What is the prognosis for polio?

The prognosis for patients with polio depends on the extent of damage caused by the poliovirus. Many patients may have few if any symptoms and will have an excellent prognosis. However, the prognosis worsens when patients begin to show symptoms of paralysis, especially with decreased ability to breathe or swallow.

Is polio caused by bacteria or virus?

Polio is caused by bacteria. Polio is caused by a virus. Polio’s symptoms include mental retardation. Polio’s symptoms include difficulty breathing. Weegy: Polio is caused by a virus is true about polio.