Polio-induced paralysisuntreatable: Jakarta health official

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Paralysis due to a polio infection is untreatable, a Jakarta health official said on Thursday.

"Until now, paralysis cannot be treated. It can only be prevented before they get sick," said Dr. Budi Setiawan, head of the surveillance, epidemiology, and immunization section of the Jakarta Health Service.

He said that the most effective prevention is immunization by taking four drops of the polio vaccine and two complete polio injections.

Polio is a disease that attacks the nervous system and is caused by a virus. Once the polio virus enters the body, it starts to evolve in the digestive tract.

If a person's immune system is not fully developed or they have not been immunized, there's a high risk of the polio virus reaching the nervous system, Setiawan explained.

He added that it takes one to three weeks for the paralysis symptom to appear once the virus enters the body.

"Pay attention to changes in the child's activities, especially those that require large movements," he advised.

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Based on research, around 90 percent of people infected with the polio virus show symptoms similar to the common cold, such as fever, cough, runny nose, slight diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, while some show no symptoms at all, Setiawan said.

"The classic signs and symptoms are sudden paralysis, especially in the lower half of the body or legs, and then the patient will suffer from the remaining symptoms for life," he added.

As part of efforts to prevent polio, particularly in Jakarta, the National Immunization Week (PIN Polio) will be held in July and August 2024. The first round will be conducted from July 23 to 29, and the second round from August 6 to 12. Children under eight will be targeted for immunization.