Polio Virus

Context: The West Bengal government announced that it was introducing an additional dose of injectable polio vaccine as part of the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) for children.

About Polio Virus:

• Polio is a crippling and potentially deadly viral infectious disease that affects the nervous system.
• Poliovirus can invade the central nervous system and as it multiplies, destroy the nerve cells that activate muscles, causing irreversible paralysis in hours
• There are three individual and immunologically distinct wild poliovirus strains:
  • Wild Poliovirus type 1 (WPV1)
  • Wild Poliovirus type 2 (WPV2)
  • Wild Poliovirus type 3 (WPV3)
• All three strains can cause irreversible paralysis or even death. However, there are genetic and virological differences, which make these three strains separate viruses that must each be eradicated individually.

• The virus is transmitted by person-to-person mainly through the fecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (for example, through contaminated water or food).
• It largely affects children under 5 years of age.

About Polio Vaccines:

• There is no cure, but it can be prevented through Immunization.
• There are two types of Vaccines for polio :
• Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV): given orally as a birth dose for institutional deliveries, then primary three doses at 6, 10, and 14 weeks and one booster dose at 16-24 months of age.
• Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV): It is introduced as an additional dose along with the 3^rd dose of DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus) under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).

Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI):

• The goal of the GPEI is to complete the eradication and containment of all wild, vaccine-related, and Sabin polioviruses, so no child suffers from paralytic poliomyelitis ever again.
• GPEI has helped countries to make huge progress in protecting the global population from this debilitating disease.
• GPEI’s four pillars include Routine Immunization, Supplementary immunization, Surveillance, and Targeted mop-up campaigns.

Source: The Hindu

Previous Year Questions

Q.1) In the context of vaccines manufactured to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic, consider the following statements:(2022)

1. The Serum Institute of India produced a COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield using an mRNA platform.
2. The Sputnik V vaccine is manufactured using a vector-based platform.
3. COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen-based vaccine.

Which of the statements given above is correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Q.2) Consider the following :

1. Bacteria
2. Fungi
3. Virus

Which of the above can be cultured in an artificial/ synthetic medium? (2022)

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1,2 and 3