The aftermath of surviving polio (Podcast)

Cathy Pryor, Producer for ABC

Polio was, and still is in some countries, one of the most devastating childhood diseases- a virus that can cause paralysis in the more severe cases and in some instances death.

Australia was officially declared polio free in 2000, but that doesn't mean that the effects of the virus have disappeared entirely.

People who contracted the virus as children are now experiencing a range of symptoms which can be directly traced to the illness. As an added complication, some people who contracted the virus as a child, may not even be aware they had it.

Gillian Thomas is a polio survivor and president of Polio Australia, as well as the state branch in NSW, and Paul Cavendish is an exercise physiologist and clinical health educator with Polio Australia.

Listen to the podcast by clicking below.