Health Forums  

Go Back   Health Forums > Health Diseases > Polio

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
In the 1940's, were children the only ones suseptable to Polio?
Old
  (#1 (permalink))
Junior Member
 
Taylor L's Avatar
 
Offline
Posts: 13
Join Date: Dec 2008
Default In the 1940's, were children the only ones suseptable to Polio? - 12-21-2008, 12:22 AM

I know FDR had polio as well, but was that just a rare case? If not, how would one have gotten polio?
   
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Old
  (#2 (permalink))
Junior Member
 
Louise C's Avatar
 
Offline
Posts: 22
Join Date: Dec 2008
Default 12-24-2008, 10:03 AM

Adults can get it, though it is much more common in children, it probably would have been quite rare for a man of Roosevelt's age to have got it ( think he was in his thirties when he got it). The polio virus is mostly transmitted through contaminated matter in stools (poop). Not washing your hands after going to the toilet, or drinking contaminated water, would be ways of picking it up. that's why parents used to be fearful of their children going to swimming pools when the polio epedemic was at its height.
   
Reply With Quote
Old
  (#3 (permalink))
Junior Member
 
John de Witt's Avatar
 
Offline
Posts: 16
Join Date: Dec 2008
Default 12-26-2008, 04:07 PM

Polio is one of those viruses that causes no or minimal symptoms the vast majority of the time. It only produces neurologic symptoms in a small number of cases, and it isn't severe even in many of those. So most people were exposed and developed some immunity in childhood, making a severe case in adulthood unlikely.
   
Reply With Quote
Old
  (#4 (permalink))
Junior Member
 
greydoc6's Avatar
 
Offline
Posts: 16
Join Date: Dec 2008
Default 12-29-2008, 06:24 PM

Great answer by John de Witt, but there were exceptions. Franklin Roosevelt was one. Three pediatricians on the staff of the children's hospital where I practiced contracted polio, two while in their pediatric residency.
   
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes



Similar Threads for: In the 1940's, were children the only ones suseptable to Polio?
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
What do you think about this healing from polio? princess_shira99 Polio 2 06-15-2013 03:53 AM
Why is oral polio drops given to children rather than adults? pankaj s Polio 1 01-06-2023 03:04 AM
How can you notice when you have Polio? tooyoung2drive0094 Polio 1 12-16-2008 06:15 AM