A surveillance medical officer in Baharaich, Uttar Pradesh, India, examines a child with acute flaccid paralysis, the “signal” condition for polio that must be reported and investigated.

Surveillance

The global program must not only claim but prove that it has achieved worldwide eradication of the poliovirus. To do this, it employs a rigorous surveillance system and a global network of diagnostic laboratories. The program must also have “fail-safe” containment measures for infectious materials and establish procedures for the ongoing verification and certification of national, regional, and global polio-free status.

From Exposure to Paralysis
Following poliovirus exposure, progress to maximum paralysis is rapid -- 2 to 4 days. It is usually associated with fever and muscle pain, which rarely continues after the temperature has returned to normal. Paralysis is usually asymmetric, affecting one or more limbs.