Does polio still exist? Is it curable?

Q: Polio is a disease you read about in history books. Does it still exist? Is it curable?

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A: Polio does still exist, although polio cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988, from an estimated more than 350 000 cases to 1997 reported cases in 2006. This reduction is the result of the global effort to eradicate the disease. Today, only four countries in the world remain polio-endemic (India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan).

Despite the progress achieved since 1988, as long as a single child remains infected with poliovirus, children in all countries are at risk of contracting the disease. The poliovirus can easily be imported into a polio-free country and can spread rapidly amongst unimmunized populations.

There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, can protect a child for life.

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