Poliomyelitis, or more commonly known as polio, is an infectious and contagious disease caused by a virus (poliovirus) that is transmitted from person to person and through contaminated food or water.
October 24 was World Polio Day. The origin of this day is Rotary International. Its primary goal is "End Polio Now."
Today, almost no one has any idea what polio is. The disease was a scourge in the 1950s, when more than 20,000 people in Canada were infected with polio. By the early 1990s, the disease was affecting 350,000 people a year in 125 countries. Canada was declared polio-free in 1994. Today, worldwide, the number of polio cases has dropped by 99.9% and there is hope that the disease will be completely eradicated from the planet. All this started with the Salk and Sabin vaccines.
I would like to introduce you to the Polio Quebec Association, a non-profit organization (NPO) that serves people who have had polio or who suffer from Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS).
Her medical advisor, McGill University physiatrist Daria Tro-jan, is the only specialist in PPS in Quebec. The syndrome is difficult to detect in people who experience persistent chronic pain. Some people do better, but others are extremely weak and must use a wheelchair. In order to see Dr. Trojan, a prescription from a physician is required. Unfortunately, very few doctors know about polio.
If any of you have had polio and seem to have these symptoms, you can contact the Polio Quebec Association, by phone at 514-489-1143 or through their website - polio-bec.org or their Facebook page - Polio Quebec Association. You may receive a copy of their Polio-Folio newsletter, if you request it.
My connection to polio is that my mother had polio and had the after-effects of a partially paralyzed arm and a weakened leg. My uncle caught it in 1946 or 47 at the age of 25 by drinking contaminated water while fighting forest fires in the Miramichi area of New Brunswick. He had to wear a brace for the rest of his life. Andrée Lambert, who caught the polio virus at the age of 5, suffered from PPS in her 60s. She was vice-president of the Polio Quebec Association and my spouse until her death in 2009.
By Roland LaRivière , President
