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| - Last Updated on January 20, 2025 by Dr Priyamvada
Quick Take
A social media post claims that polio persists as acute flaccid myelitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome. However, after fact-checking, we found this claim to be False. Our research indicates that these medical conditions are distinct and separate from each other.
The Claim
In an Instagram video, a woman claims that the common belief of removing polio through vaccine is incorrect. Instead, she argues that polio has been renamed as other diseases. The video cites Bill Gates’ vaccination efforts in India, initially eliminating polio but leading to a surge of around 60,000 non-polio paralysis cases. This raises questions about the sudden increase and the correlation with the polio vaccine. The caption contends that polio is falsely touted as the primary defense for vaccines, comparing it to the alleged misinformation surrounding COVID-19. The post suggests that acute flaccid myelitis and Guillain-Barré are merely renamed forms of polio, emphasizing the impossibility of removing a condition by continually renaming it. The video hints at further revelations to come.
We have attached a screenshot of how the video looks when publishing this story.
People on social media frequently target Bill Gates to spread misinformation. False claims have circulated saying that Bill Gates’ GMO mosquitoes are responsible for causing malaria. Another claim suggests that Gates planned a pandemic for 2025.
Fact Check
What is polio?
Polio is short for poliomyelitis. It is a highly infectious viral disease that happens because of poliovirus. It primarily affects the nervous system and can lead to paralysis, especially in the limbs. Polio spreads through contaminated food, water, or contact with an infected person’s feces. The disease was a major global health concern until the development of effective vaccines, such as the oral polio vaccine (OPV) and the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). Vaccination efforts have led to significant progress in reducing polio in many parts of the world.
It is important to note that there are still misleading claims circulating about polio, such as the claim that it spreads through faecal matter only.
What is acute flaccid myelitis?
Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a rare but serious neurological condition that primarily affects the spinal cord, specifically the gray matter. It can cause sudden weakness in one or more limbs and other symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, and facial droop.
What is Guillain-Barré syndrome?
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare neurological disorder where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves. These are the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. The exact cause of Guillain-Barré syndrome is often unknown. But it is frequently happens due to an infection, most commonly a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection.
Does polio persist as acute flaccid myelitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome?
No. Poliovirus does not persist as acute flaccid myelitis or Guillain-Barré syndrome. It would be wrong to use these terms interchangeably or synonymously. These conditions share some similarities with polio, but they are distinct entities with different causes. Also, the cases of polio are very less. However, acute flaccid myelitis or Guillain-Barré syndrome remains an important public health concern, requiring further research and surveillance.
Dr Sumit Aggarwal, Scientist (D) and Programme Officer in the Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases at ICMR, New Delhi confirms the same. He informs, “Polio and Acute Flaccid Myelitis are distinct diseases. Polio occurs because of the Poliovirus, while Acute flaccid paralysis is a condition often investigated to rule out polio. Acute flaccid paralysis itself can have various causes. Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder where the immune system mistakenly attacks peripheral nerves, leading to muscle weakness and, in severe cases, paralysis. The exact cause of Guillain-Barré Syndrome is often unknown but can happen due to infections, such as respiratory or gastrointestinal infections. Symptoms typically start with weakness and tingling in the legs and can progress to affect the entire body, including the muscles responsible for breathing”.
Moreover, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website states that the term acute flaccid myelitis was initially coined in 2014 to describe cases resembling poliomyelitis but lacking a known cause unrelated to the poliovirus. Acute flaccid myelitis shares characteristics with polio, such as lesions in the spinal cord’s grey matter and flaccid limb weakness leading to paralysis. Polio is preventable through vaccination.
Stool specimens collected from patients with acute flaccid myelitis undergo testing for the poliovirus. If the poliovirus is detected, the case is categorized as polio, not acute flaccid myelitis. The CDC consistently studies specimens from acute flaccid myelitis patients for various viruses, including poliovirus and non-polio enteroviruses.
Even the speaker in the video has not provided any reference for the claim she made. However, we found a research paper with comparable findings in the National Library of Medicine. The paper outlines instances of non-polio paralysis, including acute flaccid myelitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), which are hypothesized to be correlated with polio vaccine. However, we found that there is no conclusive evidence of direct cause in this research paper. It has only been mentioned that the occurrence of these conditions and vaccination campaigns increased simultaneously.
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