MEDICINE Signs of polio can reappear

Treatment possibilities are still in the works.
By SUSAN COBURN
STAMFORD ADVOCATE
Post-polio syndrome can strike polio survivors anywhere from 10 to 40 years after their recovery from the disease.
PPS is characterized by a further weakening of the muscles that were initially affected by the polio-myelitis virus. Symptoms include fatigue, slowly progressive muscle weakness and, from time to time, muscular atrophy. Joint pain and increasing skeletal deformities are also relatively common.
The extent to which survivors of polio suffer from PPS at a later date depends on how seriously they were affected by the initial bout. For example, people who experienced only minor symptoms of the original polio attack will likely only experience mild PPS symptoms. Likewise, those unfortunate enough to have been hit hard with the initial attack are at greater risk of developing a severe case of PPS.
Scientists are working on a wide range of treatment possibilities for patients with PPS. To find out more about these research efforts, and to connect with other patients, tap into the International Polio Network, also known as the Gazette International Networking Institute.
The organization's Web site is at www.post-polio.org.
Look and feel
There are few fancy bells or whistles on the GINI site. Rather, the site's content is presented in a straightforward manner, with major sections of the site simply listed and linked on the home page. Contact information, including snail mail and direct e-mail addresses, are provided, and a site map is under construction.
A quick tour
To learn more about the organization, head to the section titled About GINI. Here visitors will find the organization's mission statement, a list of the board of directors, medical advisory committee and other key personnel details. There is also a chronological history of the organization from its founding in 1958 through today.
For those just learning about PPS or interested in boning up on the basics of this condition, turn to the International Polio Network section. In addition to various handbooks and breaking news stories about PPS, this area features fact sheets on polio and PPS, and a resource directory of self-identified clinics, health professionals and support groups.
A number of polio and PPS survivors are on ventilators. The GINI site maintains the International Ventilator Users Network for these patients. In addition to a resource directory of health care professionals and manufacturers of mechanical ventilator equipment, IVUN publishes a quarterly newsletter, most of which is available online.
Another key section of the GINI site, called Networking, enables visitors to ask and receive answers from the organization to specific PPS-related questions.
Links
The site lists numerous other destinations on the Web that address the PPS topic.
GINI is a nonprofit organization. There are no advertisements.