The disease polio or polymyelitis is known from ancient times. It is mainly caused by one of the smallest known virus called polio virus. It generally enters the body through food or water and ultimately reaches the central nervous system through lymphatic system and blood stream. Polio is a kind of paralysis disease. The effect of the paralysis is more on the limbs especially on the legs. Mostly children between the age group of six months and three years are prone to polio infection. The mild infection in the early life of a person may develop immunity in the adult. Some of the ways in which the polio is transmitted among children is by faeco-oral route, through direct contact, dirty hands, contaminated food or milk and flies.

The symptoms in mild cases of polio may last for few days. But in severe paralytic type cases the fever is sustained for a longer time along with headache, vomiting. And convulsions followed by paralysis of limbs. Generally polio is diagnosed in a child by fever accompanied by restlessness, followed by stiffness of the neck and drowsiness.

Isolation of the diseased, immunization and improvement in sanitation are some methods for the control and prevention of polio. Nowadays the ORAL POLIO VACCINE(ORL) is given orally to children as per the National Immunisation Schedule in our country.