The speakers discuss the progress made in eradicating polio, the two types of vaccines used, the challenges associated with each, the risk of vaccine-derived polio, ongoing efforts to curb polio, and what needs to happen after eradication.
In this episode:
00:46 What happens after polio is eradicated
Since 1988, cases of polio have fallen by more than 99%, and many observers predict that the disease could be eradicated within the next three years. However, eradication isn’t the same as extinction, so the next challenge is for researchers to make sure the disease won’t return. We discuss what a post-polio future may look like, and how to ensure that the disease is gone for good.
Botulinum toxin shows promise in treating a common disorder in older people, and how safeguarding seabirds may require significantly larger conservation-areas than previously thought.
How demand for research monkeys is fuelling an illegal trade in smuggled animals, and the surprising observation that may help explain mysterious space explosions.