The polio virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestines, then passes into the bloodstream and invades the spinal cord and nerves. Within the spinal cord, the polio virus destroys important nerve structures that transmit commands from the brain, preventing signals from reaching the legs and causing paralysis.

1. 1
How the polio virus causes
paralysis
Pathophysiology of polio paralysis for a non- medical audience
January 2009

2. 2
The polio virus
The polio virus is present in the environment
Polio is caused by a virus
called the polio virus

3. 3
The virus is also released in
the environment with the stools
The polio virus gets into the
body
Polio viruses
The virus then moves to the
digestive track, towards
the intestines
The virus multiplies inside the
digestive track (intestines)
The virus gets into
the body through
the mouth

4. 4
The polio virus passes into the
blood and invades the nerves
The virus then passes into the blood
and reaches the spinal chord
The virus destroys
important structures
inside the spinal chord
This is the spinal chord: it is the main
nerve route for all commands coming
from the brain

5. 5
The polio virus damages important
nerves
Commands coming from
the brain can not reach
the leg because important
nerve structures have
been destroyed by the
polio virus
The leg is
paralyzed..!

6. 6
Polio paralysis: the result of the
destruction of the nerves by the polio
virus

7. 7
The end