Englewood, NJ, January 11, 2000 — A childhood poliovirus infection may cause chronic fatigue in baby boomers concludes a paper published in the January,11, 2000, issue of the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation "Paralytic Versus 'Non Paralytic' Polio: A Distinction without a Difference," by Dr. Richard L. Bruno, director of The Post-Polio Institute at New Jersey's Englewood Hospital and Medical Center and chairperson of the International Post-Polio Task Force.
Bruno reviewed the personal laboratory notebooks, publications and private correspondence of Dr. Albert Sabin, developer of the oral polio vaccine, regarding a 1947, Cincinnati, Ohio outbreak of the "Summer Grippe," a flu-like disease that affected more than 10,000 children. Because Summer Grippe was associated with a stiff neck — a hallmark symptom of polio — Sabin hospitalized and studied a dozen children. "Sabin concluded that Summer Grippe was caused by a mild form of the Type 2 poliovirus which caused a flu-like illness even though it did not cause paralysis," said Bruno. However, when Sabin infected monkeys with poliovirus from the Summer Grippe children, spinal cord and brain stem neurons were killed just as they would have been by a paralytic poliovirus. "Both the Summer Grippe and paralytic polio viruses damage the brain stem," Bruno continued. "Sabin showed us that even a 'mild' poliovirus infection could cause neuron damage that, although not apparent in terms of causing polio like symptoms, was very real."
However, Bruno reports that another "mild" poliovirus outbreak did cause symptoms. In the very next year, 1948, over 1,000 Icelanders became ill with a flu-like illness causing stiff neck, some muscle weakness, and fatigue. While many of those with "Iceland Disease" recovered, some who became ill in 1948 still have fatigue today. "Iceland Disease was also apparently caused by a relatively mild Type 2 poliovirus," said Bruno, "but one that did more severe and therefore more apparent damage to the brain stem — damage that caused chronic fatigue." Fifteen years of research at The Post-Polio Institute. The Post-Polio Institute treats many middle aged adults with fatigue who had non paralytic polio as children. "Albert Sabin showed us that even a mild poliovirus infection can damage the brain activating system setting the stage for fatigue to develop later in life," said Bruno. The Post-Polio Institute's experience is supported by the 1987 U.S. National Health Interview Survey which found that 21% of those who had had non paralytic polio report fatigue in mid-life. "The one million North Americans who had non paralytic polio must be assertive," said Bruno, "telling their doctors that both paralytic and non paralytic polio survivors develop late onset fatigue."
An epidemiological study by Dr. Leonard Jason, published in the October 11, 1999, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that half of the estimated 836,000 Americans with CFS are at least 40 years old. Jason concluded that baby boomers may be at greater risk for CFS. "Potentially half of those diagnosed today with CFS may in fact have had Summer Grippe or undiagnosed non paralytic polio as children in the years before the polio vaccine became available," said Bruno. "They may also have brain activating system damage that causes chronic fatigue."
"There is no question that neither the naturally occurring poliovirus nor the Sabin oral polio vaccine causes CFS today," said Bruno. "But the possibility of a non paralytic poliovirus infection in childhood causing chronic fatigue in middle-aged baby boomers is a reason for hope." The Post-Polio Institute's research has found that conserving energy, daytime rests breaks, stopping activities before fatigue starts, and a higher protein diet significantly reduce symptoms of fatigue."