Polio

Polio is a highly contagious viral disease. It can lead to long-term disability and death. In Australia, the risk of polio is low, but vaccination is still important. We monitor and report on polio cases and wastewater detections and provide guidelines to minimise the risk.

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What polio is

Polio is a highly contagious infection caused by the poliovirus.

It can cause long-term disability, paralysis and death.

There is no cure for polio, but it can be prevented with vaccination. 

Why it matters to public health

Before the introduction of vaccination, polio was a major cause of death and disability. 

Because of global efforts to eradicate polio, the number of cases diagnosed each year has decreased by more than 99% since the 1980s.

In Australia, the risk of polio is low. Australia maintains high polio vaccination coverage through the National Immunisation Program. 

Australia has been polio-free since 2000, but vaccination is still important because outbreaks occur in neighbouring countries.

Because of this we:

Symptoms

Most people with polio have no or mild symptoms. Symptoms include:

Some people also experience more severe symptoms, like:

  • neck stiffness
  • severe headache
  • limb pain.

These symptoms usually resolve within 1 to 2 weeks. But in a very small number of cases, it progresses to paralytic polio.

In paralytic polio, symptoms include:

  • severe muscle pain
  • weakness
  • involuntary movements.

Other serious complications include weakness of the breathing muscles, which can cause death.

People who have recovered from polio, especially more severe disease, can develop post-polio syndrome years later.

healthdirect’s symptom checker can help you decide whether to see a doctor.

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Onset of symptoms

Symptoms usually start between 7 and 14 days after exposure to the virus, but this can range from 2 to 35 days.

How it spreads

Poliovirus is highly contagious. It mainly spreads from one person to another through food, water or items contaminated with the faeces of an infected person. 

Less often, it can spread through saliva or respiratory droplets.

The virus can survive outside the human body for several weeks.

Infectious period

People with polio are infectious from about 7 to 10 days before symptoms appear and can remain infectious for many weeks.

People are usually most infectious just before and after symptoms start, but can be infectious even if they don’t have any symptoms.

Prevention

Vaccination

Get vaccinated

Vaccination is the only way to protect against polio. The inactivated polio vaccine (injectable) is safe and highly effective.

Vaccination is recommended for all:

  • babies and children from 2 months of age
  • adolescents and adults who have never received the polio vaccine.

An additional vaccine dose is recommended every 10 years for:

  • travellers to areas or countries with polio cases
  • healthcare workers who may have contact with infected people
  • laboratory workers who may have contact with the virus.

Eligible people can get polio vaccination for free under the National Immunisation Program or state or territory programs. If you are not eligible for free vaccination, you can buy one from your healthcare professional or some pharmacies.

High-risk groups and settings

People who have not had a polio vaccination in the past 10 years are at greater risk of getting sick from polio if they are exposed to the virus.

If you are at greater risk, it is especially important to talk to your health professional about polio vaccination.

Polio can spread quickly in: 

  • households, especially if overcrowded
  • early childhood education and care centres
  • residential care facilities
  • settings with poor sanitation, such as reduced access to hand-washing facilities or inadequate sewage treatment.

People at greater risk of severe disease

Polio poses a greater risk of severe illness for:

  • people who have not been vaccinated
  • infants or young children
  • pregnant people
  • people with weakened immune systems
  • older people.

People at greater risk of exposure

You are at greater risk of exposure to polio if you travel to countries where the virus is circulating.

Talk to your doctor about polio vaccination before you travel.

People who work in certain jobs – like healthcare or laboratory workers – may be at greater risk of exposure to polioviruses.

Diagnosis and treatment

Your health professional can diagnose polio through a test, which usually requires a stool sample.

You can use healthdirect’s directory to find a health service near you.

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There is no cure for polio. Some treatments – like supportive care in hospital and physiotherapy – can help people recover and reduce complications. 

Surveillance and reporting

Polio is a nationally notifiable disease – these are diseases that present a risk to public health.

Health authorities in each state and territory report confirmed cases to us through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. 

This is part of our surveillance activities, which help us monitor case numbers around the country and understand disease patterns. 

We analyse the data and report on case numbers and other data through our data visualisation tool, where you can filter and search the latest information.

We also do wastewater surveillance for polio, and publish annual reports for the polio surveillance program.

Outbreaks

A detection of polio in Australia triggers a public health response. Public health actions focus on quickly finding and isolating infected people to prevent further spread. 

Contact tracing is done to find people who might have been exposed to an infected person. Contacts might be offered vaccination to reduce their risk of getting polio.

Read more about how we define and plan for outbreaks and pandemics.

Support

For information about polio in your state or territory see:

If you need mental health support, see a list of organisations, websites and services that offer support, counselling and information.

For information for polio survivors, see Polio Australia.

For information about polio if travelling, see Smartraveller.

We regularly add new content to this website. This will include more topics and diseases. In the meantime, information about other diseases in Australia is on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s website. 

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