2010-05-10T22:38:00.155+02:00

Polio is a problem that can not be ignored.

Children whose legs are paralysed by polio today often require crutches,
special braces or wheelchairs in order to move around.

Polio disease in India - the pictures
With his pictures of polio disease in India, Kristian Bertel strives to change our usual view of portraits. Through an intimate and honest angle of human/culture the polio pictures from India embraces humanity and diversities.
Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours.
It can strike at any age.

Contagiousness
Polio is transmitted primarily through the ingestion of material contaminated with the virus found in dirt. Not washing hands after using the bathroom and drinking contaminated water were common culprits in the transmission of the disease.
Although the acute illness usually lasts less than 2 weeks, damage to the nerves could last a lifetime. In the past, some patients with polio never regained full use of their limbs, which would appear withered. Those who did fully recover might go on to develop post-polio syndrome (PPS) as many as 30 to 40 years after contracting polio. In PPS, the damage done to the nerves during the disease causes an acceleration of the normal, gradual weakness due to aging.

One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs).
Amongst those paralysed, 5%-10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.

Man on the ground in Varanasi.

Additional pictures from India can be seen at the following link:

See the slideshow | press here

Polio disease in India - Photos by Kristian Bertel - [ i m a g e r y ]