Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by:

UP CHO - 10 September 2021

Applied Microbiology & Infection control

Easy

Appeared in: UP CHO - 10 September 2021

Explanation

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus.
The poliovirus is an RNA virus belonging to the Enterovirus genus and the Picornaviridae family.
It primarily spreads via the fecal-oral route and replicates in the human alimentary tract.
The virus can invade the central nervous system, destroying motor neurons in the spinal cord, which leads to the characteristic flaccid paralysis.

Option A: Bacteria are single-celled prokaryotic organisms. They are responsible for diseases like tetanus, typhoid, and cholera, but not polio.
Option C: Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that include yeasts and molds. They cause infections such as candidiasis, ringworm, and aspergillosis, not polio.
Option D: Protozoa are single-celled eukaryotes. They are parasites that cause diseases like malaria, amoebiasis, and giardiasis, but not polio.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Causative agent of Poliomyelitis helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses are at the forefront of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Their roles include administering vaccines (OPV/IPV), educating communities about immunization schedules and hygiene, and conducting surveillance for Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) cases.
Understanding the difference between IPV (killed virus, injectable) and OPV (live-attenuated, oral) is critical for correct administration, patient counseling, and managing the cold chain, especially for OPV.
What if? If a child in the family is immunocompromised, the nurse must advise against the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) for household contacts due to the risk of shedding the live attenuated virus, which could cause vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP) in the vulnerable child. The Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) is the safe alternative in such scenarios.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question that tests foundational knowledge in microbiology and communicable diseases.
First, identify the key term in the question, which is 'Polio'.
Next, access your knowledge base about the causative agents of common infectious diseases.
Systematically evaluate the given options: bacteria, virus, fungi, and protozoa, which are different classes of microorganisms.
Recall that Poliomyelitis is caused by the Poliovirus.
Match 'Poliovirus' to its correct classification, which is 'virus', to select the right answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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