This Travel Health Notice (THN) was originally posted on September 26, 2022, and is updated regularly based on the most current data. Polio is a crippling and potentially deadly disease that affects the nervous system.
The best way to protect yourself is to get vaccinated for polio, especially before travel to locations where polio outbreaks are occurring. Good hand washing practices can help prevent the spread of this disease.
Because the virus that causes polio lives in the feces (poop) of an infected person, people infected with the disease can spread it to others when they do not wash their hands well after defecating (pooping). People can also be infected if they drink water or eat food contaminated with infected feces.
Most people with polio do not feel sick. Some people have only minor symptoms, such as fever, tiredness, nausea, headache, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, stiffness in the neck and back, and pain in the arms and legs.
In rare cases, polio infection causes permanent loss of muscle function (paralysis).