Brief: Poliovirus

Polio is a disease caused by an RNA virus. In most individuals, infection causes no symptoms. In about 25% of people, infection causes a mild flu-like illness. A small proportion of individuals (~ 1 in 200 to 1 in 2000 depending on the specific type of polio virus), experience paralysis or weakness which can affect the arms, legs, and muscles used for breathing. Infection is spread through person-to-person contact, primarily contact with infected stool, and less commonly through droplets from sneezes or coughs. Cases in the U.S. dropped dramatically after the introduction of the polio vaccine in 1955.

Biobot is not currently developing polio testing methods, but we are actively monitoring the situation and will continue to evaluate future options as regulatory guidelines regarding polio testing become more clear.

In this brief, you’ll learn: 

• The role of wastewater in polio monitoring
• The status of polio in the United States today