Case history
Case history
A mother in a small village in rural Pakistan brings an 18-month-old boy to the local clinic. The main concern is weakness in his left leg. Approximately 2 weeks ago he had fever and diarrhoea that resolved without treatment within a week. The child has not received any immunisations. The village has outdoor sanitation and limited running water.
Other presentations
Although most poliovirus infections are asymptomatic, when they do occur symptomatically the manifestation is usually as a minor illness characterised by gastrointestinal disturbances, which may be mistaken for a typical viral gastroenteritis. A minority of infected patients progress to the paralytic major illness, which involves acute flaccid paralysis (AFP). An even smaller proportion of those affected by the paralytic illness progress to respiratory paralysis.
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