poliomyelitis

/'poulioumaiə'laitis/

Thân thiện

A child receives a vaccine to prevent poliomyelitis.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An acute viral disease: A serious infectious illness caused by a virus, characterized by its sudden onset and severe nature.
   • Marked by inflammation of nerve cells: The defining characteristic is the swelling and damage to specific nerve cells (neurons).
   • Of the brain stem and spinal cord: The inflammation primarily affects the motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord and the brainstem, which can lead to muscle weakness and paralysis.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The development of a vaccine dramatically reduced the incidence of poliomyelitis.
  • Before widespread immunization, poliomyelitis was a greatly feared disease that could cause permanent disability.
  • Symptoms of poliomyelitis can range from a mild flu-like illness to severe paralysis.

Advanced Usage

• "Bulbar poliomyelitis": A severe form of the disease where the brainstem is affected, potentially impairing breathing, swallowing, and speech.
  • Bulbar poliomyelitis requires immediate medical intervention due to the risk of respiratory failure.
• "Post-polio syndrome": A condition that can affect survivors decades after the initial acute poliomyelitis infection, characterized by new muscle weakness and fatigue.
  • Many individuals who recovered from poliomyelitis in their youth now manage the effects of post-polio syndrome.

Variants and Related Words

• Polio (n): The common, abbreviated name for poliomyelitis.
  • The polio vaccine is part of routine childhood immunizations.
• Poliovirus (n): The specific virus that causes poliomyelitis.
  • There are three serotypes of poliovirus.

Synonyms

• Infantile paralysis: An older term for poliomyelitis, referencing its historical prevalence in children and its paralytic effects.
• Polio: The standard shortened synonym.

Related Phrases

• To contract poliomyelitis: To become infected with the disease.
  • In the 1950s, many children contracted poliomyelitis each summer.
• To eradicate poliomyelitis: To completely eliminate the disease from a region or the world through public health efforts.
  • Global health organizations are working to eradicate poliomyelitis.

Học thuật

Noun

1. an acute viral disease marked by inflammation of nerve cells of the brain stem and spinal cord

Từ đồng nghĩa

• polio
• infantile paralysis
• acute anterior poliomyelitis