Final answer:
Poliomyelitis is a true infection of the spinal cord caused by the poliovirus, which can lead to inflammation of motor neurons and potentially result in conditions like flaccid paralysis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Direct answer in 2 lines: A. True. Poliomyelitis is an infection that can affect the spinal cord and lead to paralysis.
Poliomyelitis, also known as polio, is a disease caused by the enteric poliovirus and is characterized by inflammation of the motor neurons of the brain stem and spinal cord. The primary site of poliovirus infection is the intestinal tract, but it can progress to affect the central nervous system (CNS). This can happen in approximately one out of every 200 cases of polio infection, where the poliovirus invades and replicates within motor neurons, particularly those in the anterior horn of the spinal cord. The destruction of these cells can result in the hallmark symptom of polio: flaccid paralysis.
Poliomyelitis is most commonly transmitted through fecal-oral contamination, but it can also spread through aerosolized droplets containing the virus. In the majority of cases, poliovirus infection remains asymptomatic or causes only mild gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, fever, and headache. Despite this mild presentation, an infected individual can still shed the virus and pose an infection risk to others.