Who Discovered The Cure For Polio ?
The discovery of the cure for polio was done by Jonas Salk, who was an American researcher. He discovered the cure in the year 1952 and thereafter, in the year 1955, he announced to the medical fraternity that a vaccine was developed by him to cure the viral disease. The vaccine was composed of inactivated polio causing virus. (See Reference 1) |
Thereafter, another American researcher named Albert Sabin came up with the oral poliomyelitis vaccine. This vaccine consisted of live attenuated virus that could be given orally. Sabin received the license to use the vaccine 5 year later, in the year 1962. (See Reference 1)
Today, thanks to the cures developed by Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin, the number of cases of polio has reduced significantly all over the world. In the developed nations, polio has been eradicated, but the vaccine is still given as a part of childhood vaccination program as there is still the risk of the disease entering into the countries from developing nations, where the disease is still prevalent.
Another scientist must get credit for ensuring the progress made in the polio vaccines. American scientist John Enders and his team were responsible for cultivating the virus in human tissue in the year 1948. The findings from this study proved highly beneficial in aiding the research of poliomyelitis vaccine. (See Reference 1)
The vaccine works on the immune system of the vaccinated people and causing a response by the system after the infectious agent is introduced into the body. Once the person develops the immunity, it prevents the person from getting the disease when someone else in the vicinity is infected. (See Reference 1)
However, in the year 1988, the WHO along with Rotary Foundation and UNICEF led a worldwide program to immunize kids against polio. This mass vaccination program resulted in North and South America being completely free of polio virus by the year 1994. In the year 2000, 36 countries lying in the Western Pacific region along with China and Australia were declared free of the virus. Europe became free from polio by the year 2002. Today, just 4 countries have a problem with poliovirus, and they are Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Nigeria. However, governments in all these countries are trying to educate the people on the importance of vaccinating their kids against polio. While person to person transmission has decreased significantly in the world, there are still cases of polio occurring due to poor sanitation and lack of polio vaccination. (See Reference 1)
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1. Who Discovered It: Who Discovered the Cure for Polio?
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The history of poliomyelitis shows that the first time this disease occurred was in ancient Egypt, around 6,000 years ago. Archaeologists found deformed limbs in mummies and this proved to them that most probably polio existed during those times, and possibly even before that. There is even a plaque showing an Egyptian priest, Ruma, having a emaciated leg along with an equinus foot. This most probably was a depiction of the priest suffering from poliomyelitis. (See Reference 1)