| 1. NCBI Taxonomy ID: |
| 138953 |
| 2. Disease: |
| Polio |
| 3. Introduction |
| Poliovirus is the causative agent of poliomyelitis. It is a human enterovirus and member of the family of Picornaviridae. Poliovirus is composed of a RNA genome and a protein capsid. There are three serotypes of poliovirus, PV1, PV2 , and PV3; each with a slightly different capsid protein. Poliovirus was first isolated in 1909 by Karl Landsteiner and Erwin Popper.Poliomyelitis is a disease of the central nervous system (Wiki: Poliovirus). |
| 4. Microbial Pathogenesis |
|
Poliovirus is an enterovirus. Infection occurs via the fecal-oral route. Poliovirus infects human cells by binding to an immunoglobulin-like receptor, CD155 (or called poliovirus receptor (PVR)) on the cell surface. Poliomyelitis is a disease of the central nervous system. Paralytic disease occurs when the virus enters the central nervous system and replicates in motor neurons (Wiki: Poliovirus). |
| 5. Host Ranges and Animal Models |
| The primary determinant of infection for any virus is its ability to enter a cell and produce additional infectious particles. CD155 is found only on the cells of humans, higher primates, and Old World monkeys. However, poliovirus is strictly a human pathogen, and does not naturally infect any other species. Chimpanzees and Old World monkeys can only be experimentally infected (Wiki: Poliovirus). |
| 6. Host Protective Immunity |
| Antibodies to poliovirus are able to block replication and spread of poliovirus (Wiki: Poliovirus). |
