Poliomyelitis (Poliovirus)

Poliomyelitis is a disease caused by the poliovirus, which has the ability to infect motor neurons in the spinal cord and cause paralysis. American President Franklin Roosevelt was famously crippled by polio. The poliovirus exists in a few different serotypes, which belong to the genus enterovirus and the family picornaviridae. How do they spread, and what are the other symptoms? Is this disease still a concern? Let's take a look.

Script by Kellie Vinal

Check out "Is This Wi-Fi Organic?", my book on disarming pseudoscience!

[KeithCindyPanama]

I was led to this from the story of Paul Alexander lawyer and last of Polio survivor who lives in an iron long.

[MrLisaFischer]

I contracted Polio in 1979 when I was 2 years old in rural South Africa. Today I walk with a pronounced limb as the virus devastated my left leg' s pulling and lifting muscles. Life changing as this might be- I am thankful I am alive and feel lucky

[LemonLadyRecords]

I was born just before US polio vaccine approval (1952) during the epidemic. My mother was a nurse at a major metropolitan hospital and terrified for me. A very dark time. Luckily, I didn't get it, or the severe form, anyway. We used to be given the shot, then oral vaccine, at school. Enormous effort. No anti-vaxxers then, as people knew firsthand the tragic nature of these outbreaks, and not spoiled descendants who benefited from enormous public healthcare vaccination initiatives.

[khalidalasad]

i cant wish the iron lung even on my worst enemies

[Felipetv]

I knew so little about Polio prior to watching this video, so thanks for making this! I appreciate it :)

[Nobody_Special]

Wow, Dave-- you know a lot about the science stuff! Thanks for explaining it, professor!

[taeilshighnotesinchain]

6:09 :
antivaxers: allow us to introduce our selves

[barbh]

July 2022: I believe the type of polio recently found in a 20 year old man in New York was analysed and found to be the strain of polio given in the oral vaccine. The infected patient was not vaccinated for polio. He had recently visited Poland and another European country. I wish this video stressed the importance of hand washing, since the disease is spread from fecal matter.

[coachgius]

The reflection is: in 2020 with advances in neurology, particularly knowledge about motor units and applications of electrical stimulations, can muscle tissue be stimulated to regain muscle mass? On the basis that certain electrical current can stimulate the nervous system, and that neural cells may reproduce if stimulated, it would be interesting to know the current state of the art on possible recovery of destroyed/impaired neural connections.

[joebertcantillo]

Extreme admiration and love from thE Philippines!!🇵🇭🇵🇭😘

[aditya_kadam]

First Like😊Love You, Sir! Love from India🇮🇳🇮🇳❤️❤️❤️

[splatowie]

Did someone seriously dislike this? Why, I bet it’s a troll or one of those flat earthers.

[craptacular]

I read the moth in the iron lung and it was so interesting, I couldn't put it down. I don't know if he got everything right, but it was such an interesting read, I'd recommend it to everyone.

[georgealderson]

A fascinating all too brief video sir. Thank you. I wonder if it is possible to give a little more detail about what the virus does to the neuron that results in signs and symptoms please?
Blessings and peace

[TheFlamerWolf]

Imagine if coronavirus and Polio worked together

[itssunii-notgrowing]

very helpful! I need to learn a bit of this for my History exam

[AlexIsUber]

Now that's some scary shit.... paralysis from neck down...wow...

[martyj]

Hi, great video... question... did/can pill affect just one limb? Say, just an arm? Or did it always affect an arm and leg? Thanks!

[j_m_b_]

One thing that was mentioned but glossed over is that Polio can only be transmitted by humans. Why is this? What makes transmission in humans so different than say other apes, mammals, etc.? Is this a unique feature of viruses or are most viruses only transmitted by a specific species?

Also:

1) How long does Polio live outside the body?

2) What mechanism of action causes the virus to move from the gastrointestinal area to the CNS? Is this common? Does this happen more with younger or older people? Various races?

3) If electron microscopes weren't invented until the 1950s, how did people in 1910s even know about viruses?

4) If Polio can only survive in humans and has some finite lifespan outside of humans and vaccines were invented almost 70 years ago, why isn't Polio eradicated?

Great video!

[davesinspiration]

This gives me hope for getting rid of this COVID-19 crisis 🙂