MANILA, Philippines – A six-year-old boy from Barangay Parian in Calamba, Laguna is now being monitored after showing symptoms of polio.
According to the Department of Health (DOH) Region 4A Director Eduardo Janairo, the boy also manifests difficulty walking.
“Ang problema doon, hindi siya nabigyan ng kahit anung polio vaccine kaya medyo suspected talaga at delikado siya, (The problem is that, he never received any polio vaccine so he is highly at risk), Janairo said.
The boy’s fecal sample has already been sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for tests.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), poliomyelitis or polio is a highly infectious infantile paralysis caused by poliovirus. It causes muscle weakness and inability to move. In some cases, polio may lead to breathing difficulty and death.
Poliovirus can spread through fecal to oral transmission or when the stool of an infected person is introduced into the mouth of another person through contaminated water or food.
Oral to oral transmission, meanwhile, is through an infected person’s saliva.
“Napakaimportante ng cleanliness, nang paghuhugas ng kamay pagkatapos mag-CR, (Cleanliness is very important like proper washing of the hands every after defecating),” Janairo advised.
“Ang mga bata kailangan lagi naghuhugas ng kamay pagkatapos maglaro at kung maari iyong kuko, iyong mga putik sa kuko, maaaring may polio virus iyon na kapag nakain ng bata, magkakaroon din siya, (Children should practice hand washing every after outdoor activities. The dirt or mud in their nails must be cleaned because they might have polio virus. Once they ingest that, they can be infected),” the official said.
Polio symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs which can lead to permanent paralysis.
At present, there is no cure for polio but it can be prevented through immunization.
Meanwhile, they boy from Laguna who earlier tested positive for poliovirus is now confined at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center in Quezon City. – MNP (with reports from Sherwin Culubong)
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