Note: Individuals infected with the poliovirus are often asymptomatic. In approximately 25% of cases, polio presents as a mild to moderate illness marked by headache, fever, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. Polio affects the central nervous system only infrequently with inflammation and sometimes destruction of the motor neurons in the gray matter of the spinal cord and brain stem. Central nervous system involvement results in temporary or permanent muscle weakness or motor paralysis especially of the limbs and typically the legs. Polio may become life-threatening when paralysis affects the muscles involved in breathing and swallowing.
Mary Beth Norton et al.Betsy McKaycalled also infantile paralysis, poliomyelitis
see post-polio syndromeExamples of polio in a Sentence
Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 15 May 2025
Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman both spoke Thursday about continuing efforts to eradicate polio and reduce the impact of malaria–part of a larger foundation goal to reduce the spread of infectious disease.
—Kerry A. Dolan, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, effectively shut down the agency in February.
Gates, 69, criticized the shuttering of the agency, accusing Musk of risking a resurgence of diseases such as measles, HIV and polio.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 8 May 2025
Some 51,000 children would have life-altering neurological complications, and 5,400 would be paralyzed by polio — a disease for which there have been no cases reported since 1993.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polio
Cite this Entry
“Polio.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polio. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
polio
noun
Medical Definition
polio
noun
Note: Individuals infected with the poliovirus are often asymptomatic. In approximately 25% of cases, polio presents as a mild to moderate illness marked by headache, fever, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. Polio affects the central nervous system only infrequently with inflammation and sometimes destruction of the motor neurons in the gray matter of the spinal cord and brain stem. Central nervous system involvement results in temporary or permanent muscle weakness or flaccid paralysis of muscles especially of the limbs and typically the legs. Polio may become life-threatening when paralysis affects the muscles involved in breathing and swallowing.
People WeeklyEvan Johnson, The Addison County (Vermont) Independentcalled also infantile paralysis, poliomyelitis
see post-polio syndrome
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