1. Alex Goldberg 8th Grade Science - Emerald
Polio in Israel
Alex Goldberg
8th Grade Science - Emerald

2. Polio
Polio is a virus that can infect humans when they drink water polluted with sewage from other infected humans
In about 98% of cases, polio is a mild illness, with no symptoms or minor symptoms.
For fewer than 1%-2% of people, the virus leaves the digestive tract, enters the bloodstream, and then attacks nerve cells, leaving people paralized
In severe cases, the throat and chest may be paralyzed. Death may result if the patient does not receive artificial breathing support.

3. Polio Victims and the “Iron Lung”

4. Polio has been known to exist in the Middle East since Ancient Egypt
An Egyptian carving from around 1400 BCE depicting a young man with a leg deformity probably caused by polio.

5. The Rise of an Epidemic
Although it had always been around affecting a limited number of people, polio reached epidemic proportions in the early 1900s.
Scientists think advances in hygiene led to an increased incidence of polio because people had less opportunity to develop immunity so they were more vulnerable when they were exposed late in life.

6. Scientists Fight Back
Vaccines were developed to protect from polio in the 1950s
Salk developed the first vaccine made out of live polio virus
But it infected some people who weren’t sick!
Sabin developed a vaccine made out of dead polio virus
This didn’t get anyone sick so it was used widely
By the late 1980s, vaccination was widespread in the developed world
Because of widespread vaccination, polio was eliminated from the Western Hemisphere by 1994.
Today, polio only exists in a handful of countries (Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan) , with occasional spread to neighboring countries.

7. The Scientists Won!

8. But We Must Stay Vigilant!