Sometimes one will feel pain and stiffness in the neck, back, and legs. Even if an infected individual does not have symptoms, people with polio can still pass it on to others. Paralytic polio is the most serious form of the disease. This is the kind of polio that causes paralysis. It begins like milder forms of polio, but usually causes severe muscle pain in addition to other symptoms.
Paralysis usually happens within the first week.
The victim may lose the use of one or both legs, arms, and may not be able to breathe without the help of a machine. Recovery varies from person to person, but people who are paralyzed by polio will have some weakness in an arm or leg for the rest of their lives. There is a vaccine available to prevent polio. All healthy children between the ages of six weeks and 18 years should be vaccinated against polio as part of their complete vaccination schedule Polio immunization has worked so well that polio has been eliminated from the United States and the rest of North and South America. Travelers to countries with active polio transmission should be vaccinated prior to travel.