Poliomyelitis, also known as Polio, is an infectious disease that was initially identified as a threat to the human immune system in 1789. The poliovirus is the cause of this disease, and it was discovered in 1909 by Immunologist Karl Landsteiner.
Mild symptoms include sore throat and fever, while more severe symptoms might cause headaches and neck stiffness. Extreme symptoms are permanent paralysis and possible death. Polio is infectious and contagious; it is usually transmitted by poor hygiene or eating anything contaminated by human waste (feces).
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 51 cases of a new polio virus spreading through the Northwest region of Nigeria. According to LIB, the WHO Nigerian representative announced the new variant cases in a meeting organized by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the Sultan foundation for traditional leaders of inaccessible communities in the Northwest region in Kaduna State.
This new polio variant has been in circulation since January 2023, and the report cites data collated up to August 2023.
