Pathogen Wanted
Criminal: Polio
Mug Shot:
Description:
Poliomyelitis or more well known as Polio Is a terribly virus that affects the nervous system. It is made up of a shell of protein or capsid that stores the RNA. The virus is very small. It is about 30 manometers in diameter. The virus is part of the Picornaviridae family.
Organisms mode of operation:
This is a highly infectious virus. So this means that it needs another cell to help it reproduce. What happens is the virus will take over one of your cells and use it to reproduce, and make hundreds of other viruses just like its-self.
Hide Out
This virus can be found in the nervous system and the spinal cord. This will then affect your muscles and you nerves. Polio can also cause permanent paralysis in your body, but this is very rare. Only about 1% of cases of polio cause paralysis, and of that 1% about 10% of them will die.
The Most Common Injury Given to a Victim.
The most common problems in people that have had polio is in there muscles. They will have aches and pains in the muscles that were affected by the virus. Another is soft-tissue pain. This comes from the over use of that muscle, and the tissue has to pick up the slack. Another is joint and bone pain. Finally paralysis, and this will only happen to an unlucky few.
Is it Armed and dangerous?
Polio is a dangerous and potentially lethal virus. Before the vaccine was developed in 1955 half a million people were either killed or paralyzed form Polio each year. Now in the US we are safe. The US has not had a polio case since the 70s because of the vaccine.
Crime Stats
Polio mainly affects young children and infants, but people from any age can get it. 1952 was the worst year of polio that the US has ever seen. There were nearly 60,000 cases and more than 3,000 deaths.
Weapons Against Polio
The best treatment for the disease it the vaccine. In the US polio is prevented by the vaccine. When a child is born in the US they will receive the vaccine 4 different times. Once at 2 months, once at 4 months, once more between the age of 6 and 18 months, and finally once more between the ages of 4 and 6 years old. Before a vaccine was found doctors used the iron lung to help fight polio.
(The picture below in a picture of an iron lung)
(The picture below in a picture of an iron lung)