Poliomyelitis is a disease transmitted by the polio virus and characterized by paralysis of the nerves in the spinal cord.

The first signs of the disease include: fever, reddening of the throat, nausea, vomiting and headache. Later the patient may experience a sensation of "pins and needles" in the legs and even paralysis. In rare cases, the diaphragm is paralyzed and the patient cannot breathe unaided. There is no drug therapy against poliomyelitis; however, the disease can be prevented by immunization with polio vaccine.