1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov November 4, 2016Global Polio Eradication EffortsPoliomyelitis (polio), formerly a widespread global health challenge, is now endemic in only a handful of countries. Efforts to fully eradicate polio by a target date of 2018 are challenged by a variety of factors, inclu
2、ding regional instability. Congress supports polio eradication efforts through USAID and CDC global health appropriations and through the World Health Organization (WHO). Background Polio is an infectious disease that affects the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours. Ther
3、e are three natural or “wild” types of polio virus (WPV, numbered 1 through 3). There is no cure for polio, but it can be prevented through immunization. About one in 200 cases results in paralysis. Among those who are paralyzed, between 5% and 10% may die after their breathing muscles become immobi
4、lized if mechanical ventilation is not available. Polio is spread primarily through ingestion of contaminated water or food, or after placing ones hands in ones own mouth after touching items contaminated with the virus. The disease primarily affects children aged younger than five years. In 1998, t