Poliomyelitis in Amritsar

POLIOMYELITIS IN AMRITSAR By K. S. GREVAL, m.s? f.r.c.s. (Ed.) Orthopcedic Surgeon, V. J. Hospital, Amritsar Anterior poliomyelitis is an ancient disease, yet it was first described by Underwood towards the close of the 18th century 1784. Shaw (1823) and Goodeve (Birch, 1879) mentioned about paralysis in India; latter reporting paralysis occurring in English children. Kini (1948) could collect only 2 cases from Punjab. The present study is undertaken to find out if the disease is as rare as described by him. In this series cases who attended the Orthopaedic Clinic of the V. J. Hospital, Amritsar, from February 14, 1949 to February 13, 1952 have been analysed. Incidence of paralysis:?98 per cent of cases of acute anterior poliomyelitis are not followed by paralysis (McAlpine, 1951). Virus was first cultivated from these non-paralytic cases by Paul and Trask (1932) whereas Caverly invited attention to this form of disease as early as in 1896. During the period under review 292 cases of paralytic. phase reportedtreatment. 2205 cases might have suffered from non-paralytic form besides them. The problem enlarged to the whole country must become phenominally big. It is suggested that many cases of P. U. 0. occurring all over the country may be cases of non-paralytic and abortive cases of polio. Age:?The disease is common in children? 89.72 per cent occurring below the age of 10 in the present series. In infantsit is not rare. 29.10 per cent occurred during the first year of life (Table I and Chart IV). The incidencc falls with age. Only 7.53 per cent 'occurring after the age of 15. During the polio epidemic of 1947 in England ^rd of the cases occurred above the age of 15. It looks early infection is commoner in our country than in the west because of over-crowding in small homes. Immunity from sub-clinical doses of the virus or previous infections may account for lower incidence in adults.