Latest news with #Polio
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
Ask Fuzzy: Who was Sister Elizabeth Kenny?
In June 1916, New York officially declared a polio epidemic and, in doing so, instigated a practice that we might find unacceptable today. Newspapers published the names and addresses of sufferers, placards were nailed to doors, and families quarantined. Australians too, were affected. Polio became a notifiable disease in Tasmania and other states by 1922. Despite these measures, polio incidents continued to rise until 1938, when in Australia the number of cases peaked at 39 per 100,000. Polio, sometimes called infantile paralysis, is a devastating disease that causes muscle fatigue and spasms in the limbs, often accompanied by severe pain. When Elizabeth Kenny first encountered the disease, the accepted practice was to immobilise the patient. With splints and plaster body casts to prevent muscle tightening, many paralysed patients lay for months at a time. Unfortunately this would often atrophy both affected and healthy muscles. The Australian Elizabeth Kenny (1880 -1952) became something of a maverick by developing what was then considered a radical treatment. In 1913 Kenny opened a small hospital in Queensland, where her method was reportedly used with success. To ease pain, she lay strips of hot moist cloth over the person's affected areas. And rather than immobilising her patients, she had them do exercises such as bending and flexing joints. Several times a day, they'd move them through a limited range of motion. In doing so, she went directly against the orthodoxy, but her methods are now thought to be a forerunner of modern physiotherapy. However Elizabeth Kenny remains a tricky subject. In some ways, she resembles today's self-appointed heroes who reveal their groundbreaking treatment that busts open the orthodoxy. Kenny appears to have been a skilled self-promoter. She became famous in the United States and her story even featured in a 1946 Hollywood movie. But some saw her as a tireless propagandist who manipulated, or even falsified, her results. She claimed to have achieved an astounding 80 per cent recovery rate, but this was based on observation and intuition rather than any scientific study. MORE ASK FUZZY: Her approach was based on a fundamental misconception that the problem was a muscular one that could be corrected through "muscle re-education". As some researchers thought at the time and has subsequently been proven, polio paralysis is actually a neurological condition. As someone with direct experience of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and Frozen Shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), I cannot imagine a worse treatment than to stop a person exercising. Treatment today is more nuanced. As with the Kenny method, it includes hot moist packs and physical therapy. However, institutions such as the Mayo Clinic also include appropriate bed rest and even "splints or other devices to encourage good position of the spine and limbs". The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast: In June 1916, New York officially declared a polio epidemic and, in doing so, instigated a practice that we might find unacceptable today. Newspapers published the names and addresses of sufferers, placards were nailed to doors, and families quarantined. Australians too, were affected. Polio became a notifiable disease in Tasmania and other states by 1922. Despite these measures, polio incidents continued to rise until 1938, when in Australia the number of cases peaked at 39 per 100,000. Polio, sometimes called infantile paralysis, is a devastating disease that causes muscle fatigue and spasms in the limbs, often accompanied by severe pain. When Elizabeth Kenny first encountered the disease, the accepted practice was to immobilise the patient. With splints and plaster body casts to prevent muscle tightening, many paralysed patients lay for months at a time. Unfortunately this would often atrophy both affected and healthy muscles. The Australian Elizabeth Kenny (1880 -1952) became something of a maverick by developing what was then considered a radical treatment. In 1913 Kenny opened a small hospital in Queensland, where her method was reportedly used with success. To ease pain, she lay strips of hot moist cloth over the person's affected areas. And rather than immobilising her patients, she had them do exercises such as bending and flexing joints. Several times a day, they'd move them through a limited range of motion. In doing so, she went directly against the orthodoxy, but her methods are now thought to be a forerunner of modern physiotherapy. However Elizabeth Kenny remains a tricky subject. In some ways, she resembles today's self-appointed heroes who reveal their groundbreaking treatment that busts open the orthodoxy. Kenny appears to have been a skilled self-promoter. She became famous in the United States and her story even featured in a 1946 Hollywood movie. But some saw her as a tireless propagandist who manipulated, or even falsified, her results. She claimed to have achieved an astounding 80 per cent recovery rate, but this was based on observation and intuition rather than any scientific study. MORE ASK FUZZY: Her approach was based on a fundamental misconception that the problem was a muscular one that could be corrected through "muscle re-education". As some researchers thought at the time and has subsequently been proven, polio paralysis is actually a neurological condition. As someone with direct experience of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and Frozen Shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), I cannot imagine a worse treatment than to stop a person exercising. Treatment today is more nuanced. As with the Kenny method, it includes hot moist packs and physical therapy. However, institutions such as the Mayo Clinic also include appropriate bed rest and even "splints or other devices to encourage good position of the spine and limbs". The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast: In June 1916, New York officially declared a polio epidemic and, in doing so, instigated a practice that we might find unacceptable today. Newspapers published the names and addresses of sufferers, placards were nailed to doors, and families quarantined. Australians too, were affected. Polio became a notifiable disease in Tasmania and other states by 1922. Despite these measures, polio incidents continued to rise until 1938, when in Australia the number of cases peaked at 39 per 100,000. Polio, sometimes called infantile paralysis, is a devastating disease that causes muscle fatigue and spasms in the limbs, often accompanied by severe pain. When Elizabeth Kenny first encountered the disease, the accepted practice was to immobilise the patient. With splints and plaster body casts to prevent muscle tightening, many paralysed patients lay for months at a time. Unfortunately this would often atrophy both affected and healthy muscles. The Australian Elizabeth Kenny (1880 -1952) became something of a maverick by developing what was then considered a radical treatment. In 1913 Kenny opened a small hospital in Queensland, where her method was reportedly used with success. To ease pain, she lay strips of hot moist cloth over the person's affected areas. And rather than immobilising her patients, she had them do exercises such as bending and flexing joints. Several times a day, they'd move them through a limited range of motion. In doing so, she went directly against the orthodoxy, but her methods are now thought to be a forerunner of modern physiotherapy. However Elizabeth Kenny remains a tricky subject. In some ways, she resembles today's self-appointed heroes who reveal their groundbreaking treatment that busts open the orthodoxy. Kenny appears to have been a skilled self-promoter. She became famous in the United States and her story even featured in a 1946 Hollywood movie. But some saw her as a tireless propagandist who manipulated, or even falsified, her results. She claimed to have achieved an astounding 80 per cent recovery rate, but this was based on observation and intuition rather than any scientific study. MORE ASK FUZZY: Her approach was based on a fundamental misconception that the problem was a muscular one that could be corrected through "muscle re-education". As some researchers thought at the time and has subsequently been proven, polio paralysis is actually a neurological condition. As someone with direct experience of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and Frozen Shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), I cannot imagine a worse treatment than to stop a person exercising. Treatment today is more nuanced. As with the Kenny method, it includes hot moist packs and physical therapy. However, institutions such as the Mayo Clinic also include appropriate bed rest and even "splints or other devices to encourage good position of the spine and limbs". The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast: In June 1916, New York officially declared a polio epidemic and, in doing so, instigated a practice that we might find unacceptable today. Newspapers published the names and addresses of sufferers, placards were nailed to doors, and families quarantined. Australians too, were affected. Polio became a notifiable disease in Tasmania and other states by 1922. Despite these measures, polio incidents continued to rise until 1938, when in Australia the number of cases peaked at 39 per 100,000. Polio, sometimes called infantile paralysis, is a devastating disease that causes muscle fatigue and spasms in the limbs, often accompanied by severe pain. When Elizabeth Kenny first encountered the disease, the accepted practice was to immobilise the patient. With splints and plaster body casts to prevent muscle tightening, many paralysed patients lay for months at a time. Unfortunately this would often atrophy both affected and healthy muscles. The Australian Elizabeth Kenny (1880 -1952) became something of a maverick by developing what was then considered a radical treatment. In 1913 Kenny opened a small hospital in Queensland, where her method was reportedly used with success. To ease pain, she lay strips of hot moist cloth over the person's affected areas. And rather than immobilising her patients, she had them do exercises such as bending and flexing joints. Several times a day, they'd move them through a limited range of motion. In doing so, she went directly against the orthodoxy, but her methods are now thought to be a forerunner of modern physiotherapy. However Elizabeth Kenny remains a tricky subject. In some ways, she resembles today's self-appointed heroes who reveal their groundbreaking treatment that busts open the orthodoxy. Kenny appears to have been a skilled self-promoter. She became famous in the United States and her story even featured in a 1946 Hollywood movie. But some saw her as a tireless propagandist who manipulated, or even falsified, her results. She claimed to have achieved an astounding 80 per cent recovery rate, but this was based on observation and intuition rather than any scientific study. MORE ASK FUZZY: Her approach was based on a fundamental misconception that the problem was a muscular one that could be corrected through "muscle re-education". As some researchers thought at the time and has subsequently been proven, polio paralysis is actually a neurological condition. As someone with direct experience of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and Frozen Shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), I cannot imagine a worse treatment than to stop a person exercising. Treatment today is more nuanced. As with the Kenny method, it includes hot moist packs and physical therapy. However, institutions such as the Mayo Clinic also include appropriate bed rest and even "splints or other devices to encourage good position of the spine and limbs". The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast:
Business Recorder
20 hours ago
- Health
- Business Recorder
G-B: 1st wild poliovirus case of year reported
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday reported first wild poliovirus case in District Diamer, Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), a region which was considered polio virus free for years. According to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), a new case of wild poliovirus was reported in District Diamer, Gilgit-Baltistan. This is the first case of wild poliovirus reported from Gilgit-Baltistan and the 11th confirmed case in Pakistan this year. The third nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025, which began on 26 May, concluded Sunday. The campaign successfully reached over 45 million children under five years of age across 159 districts, including high-risk areas of the country. Polio is a highly infectious and debilitating disease with no cure. The only way to protect children is through repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine for all children under five as well as the timely completion of all vaccines offered as part of the essential immunisation schedule. The programme is calling on all parents to ensure their children do not miss out on any opportunity to receive polio drops. Every dose of polio vaccine provides an opportunity to further strengthen immunity and protection against lifelong paralysis. With polio still a threat, community support is vital—no child should be missed. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Health
- Express Tribune
The polio paradox
Even in 2025, the polio eradication campaign in Pakistan continues to struggle against rising cases and security threats as Northern Pakistan, specifically Gilgit-Baltistan, reports its first case of the wild poliovirus in almost 7 years. This was closely accompanied by news of an incident involving unknown armed men opening fire on a polio team in Diamer district. The proximity of these two reports does well to capture the country's fight against this virus that has been going on for over 30 years now. On one hand, you have a public health crisis worsening by the year. While on the other, you have a misinformed public actively resisting alleviation for all sorts of regressively traditional reasons. The armed assault on polio workers occurred on the final day of the year's third nationwide polio vaccination campaign. Before opening fire, the men threatened the team against further attempts at vaccination campaigns. They opposed it as it was "bringing [unveiled] women from Gilgit in the name of the polio campaign" and "ruining the environment". Ostensibly, attacking a medical team working to provide basic humanitarian care for children does not fall under a 'ruined environment'. Polio vaccination campaigns in Pakistan have long been under fire, both literally and figuratively, by various pseudo-scientific and religious groups. These groups claim that the vaccinations cause fatal medical problems and are a 'Western conspiracy'. Time and again, these claims have been officially refuted. The recent case of wild poliovirus has been identified in a 23-month-old child with a medical record of administered polio drops. But the child was not provided with post-birth vaccines. This highlights the urgency for a deeply meticulous approach that leaves no ends untied. Pakistan needs not only sustained vaccination efforts, but also an approach that suppresses violent and misinformed actions. Without that, the lives of our nation's children remain at stake.
Hans India
a day ago
- Health
- Hans India
Pakistan confirms 11th polio case of 2025
Islamabad: Pakistan has confirmed its 11th case of wild poliovirus this year after the virus was detected in a child from the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination said in a statement on Monday. According to the ministry, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed the presence of the virus in stool samples collected from a child in Diamer district. The detection came shortly after the conclusion of the third nationwide polio vaccination campaign of the year, which took place from May 26 to June 1. The campaign reached more than 45 million children under the age of five across 159 districts, including high-risk areas, according to health officials. Health officials have urged parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, calling the current campaign a vital opportunity to shield children from the crippling virus, Xinhua news agency reported. Pakistan reported 74 polio cases in 2024, according to official data. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus remains endemic. Polio workers have frequently been targeted in attacks, particularly in the northwest and southwest regions. One of the reasons for the presence of the virus is the refusal of the majority of people to have their children vaccinated. Polio health workers have been victims of targeted killings and attacks by militant groups, who have opposed anti-polio campaigns in the country. According to the World Health Organization, Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under 5 years of age. The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g. contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis. In 1988, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution for the worldwide eradication of polio, marking the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, spearheaded by national governments, WHO, Rotary International, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UNICEF, and later joined by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Wild poliovirus cases have decreased by over 99 per cent since 1988, from an estimated 350,000 cases in more than 125 endemic countries to 6 reported cases in 2021. Of the 3 strains of wild poliovirus (type 1, type 2 and type 3), wild poliovirus type 2 was eradicated in 1999, and wild poliovirus type 3 was eradicated in 2020. As of 2022, endemic wild poliovirus type 1 remains in two countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
Pakistan's latest polio case deals blow to eradication campaign
Northern Pakistan has reported its first Polio case in almost seven years, dealing a blow to the South Asian nation's campaign to eradicate the infectious disease. The virus was detected in a 23-month-old child from Diamer district in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, according to the country's polio eradication programme. This is Pakistan 's 11th case since January this year, despite the launch of several immunisation drives. The case was reported after a polio eradication team came under fire on Sunday, police said. According to local police, unknown armed men opened fire on the polio team in Sheikho village of the Tangir Valley, accusing them of 'ruining the environment' through the health campaign. The vehicle of the team was stopped at the RCC bridge. 'You all are ruining the environment here by bringing [unveiled] women from Gilgit in the name of the polio campaign. If you do this again, you won't be able to escape,' the armed gunmen said, according to Dawn. The shots fired by them punctured the tyres of the polio team's vehicle, the police said. Regional officials said they were aware of the incident and had ordered strict action. Faizullah Faraq, spokesperson for the Gilgit-Baltistan administration, said the chief minister had taken note of the firing. He added that the polio monitoring team was moved to a safe location immediately after the incident. He said the incident occurred because the polio team had gone to the area 'without informing the police'. Authorities were still trying to determine how the poliovirus, initially found in the southern port city of Karachi, had infected the child in Diamer, Mohammad Iqbal, a director at the polio programme in the northwest, said. Thousands of tourists from Karachi and elsewhere visit resorts in Gilgit-Baltistan during the summer season. The latest case emerged after Pakistan wrapped up its third nationwide polio vaccination drive of the year on Sunday, aiming to immunize 45 million children. Pakistan and its neighbour Afghanistan are the only two countries where the spread of the wild polio virus has not been stopped, according to the World Health Organization. There are ongoing outbreaks of polio linked to the oral vaccine in 10 other countries, mostly in Africa. Pakistan has faced vaccine hesitancy and misinformation campaigns which have slowed progress in eradicating the disease. Healthcare workers and police assigned to protect them are sometimes targeted by gunmen who falsely claim the polio vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilise children. Since the 1990s, attacks on polio vaccination teams in the country have killed over 200 workers and security personnel.
