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What is
the infectious agent that causes polio?
Polio is
caused by any of three polio viruses.
Where is
polio found?
Before the
availability of polio immunization, polio was common
worldwide. However, with strong immunization programs and
efforts to rid the world of polio, circulation of polio
viruses is limited to a decreasing number of countries. The
greatest risk is now in the Indian subcontinent and, to a
lesser extent, in West and Central Africa.
How do
people get polio?
The polio
virus lives in the throat and intestinal tract of infected
persons. The virus enters the body through the mouth, usually
from hands contaminated with the stool of an infected person.
Objects, such as eating utensils, can also spread the virus.
Food and water are not thought to play a major role in the
spread of polio.
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