EPISODE · May 29, 2026 · 8 MIN
The true reason polio poses such a threat
from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed
Explore what makes polio so dangerous, what is causing the 21st century resurgence of cases, and how we can eradicate the disease.--In 1952, polio was everywhere: killing or paralyzing roughly half a million people annually. Yet just 10 years later, paralytic polio cases in the US dropped by 96% and we were on track to get rid of polio for good. But in recent years, the virus started striking back. So, what’s behind these recent spikes? Explore the dangers of poliovirus and the possibility of eradicating this deadly disease.Directed by Anton Bogaty.This video made possible in collaboration with Gates VenturesLearn more about how TED-Ed partnerships work: https://bit.ly/TEDEdPartnerA special thanks to Ananda Bandyopadhyay, Amber Zeddies, and Kathleen O'Reilly who provided information and insights for the development of this video.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-real-reason-polio-is-so-dangerousDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-real-reason-polio-is-so-dangerous/digdeeperAnimator's website: https://antonbogaty.comMusic: https://www.wonderboyaudio.com----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Katie McDowell, Allen, Mahina Knuckles, Charmaine Hanson, Thawsitt, Jezabel, Abdullah Abdulaziz, Xiao Yu, Melissa Suarez, Brian A. Dunn, Francisco Amaya, Daisuke Goto, Matt Switzler, Peng, Tzu-Hsiang, Bethany Connor, Jeremy Shimanek, Mark Byers, Avinash Amarnath, Xuebicoco, Rayo, Po Foon Kwong, Boffin, Jesse Jurman, Scott Markley, Elija Peterson, Ovidiu Mrd, paul g mohney, Steven Razey, Nathan Giusti, Helen Lee, Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, Annastasshia Ames, Amy Lopez, Vinh-Thuy Nguyen, Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey, Yelena Baykova, Nick Johnson, Carlos H. Costa, Jennifer Kurkoski, Ryan B Harvey, Akinola Emmanuel, Jose Arcadio Valdes Franco, Sebastiaan Vleugels, Karl Laius, JY Kang and Abhishek Goel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What this episode covers
Explore what makes polio so dangerous, what is causing the 21st century resurgence of cases, and how we can eradicate the disease.--In 1952, polio was everywhere: killing or paralyzing roughly half a million people annually. Yet just 10 years later, paralytic polio cases in the US dropped by 96% and we were on track to get rid of polio for good. But in recent years, the virus started striking back. So, what’s behind these recent spikes? Explore the dangers of poliovirus and the possibility of eradicating this deadly disease.Directed by Anton Bogaty.This video made possible in collaboration with Gates VenturesLearn more about how TED-Ed partnerships work: https://bit.ly/TEDEdPartnerA special thanks to Ananda Bandyopadhyay, Amber Zeddies, and Kathleen O'Reilly who provided information and insights for the development of this video.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-real-reason-polio-is-so-dangerousDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-real-reason-polio-is-so-dangerous/digdeeperAnimator's website: https://antonbogaty.comMusic: https://www.wonderboyaudio.com----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Katie McDowell, Allen, Mahina Knuckles, Charmaine Hanson, Thawsitt, Jezabel, Abdullah Abdulaziz, Xiao Yu, Melissa Suarez, Brian A. Dunn, Francisco Amaya, Daisuke Goto, Matt Switzler, Peng, Tzu-Hsiang, Bethany Connor, Jeremy Shimanek, Mark Byers, Avinash Amarnath, Xuebicoco, Rayo, Po Foon Kwong, Boffin, Jesse Jurman, Scott Markley, Elija Peterson, Ovidiu Mrd, paul g mohney, Steven Razey, Nathan Giusti, Helen Lee, Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, Annastasshia Ames, Amy Lopez, Vinh-Thuy Nguyen, Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey, Yelena Baykova, Nick Johnson, Carlos H. Costa, Jennifer Kurkoski, Ryan B Harvey, Akinola Emmanuel, Jose Arcadio Valdes Franco, Sebastiaan Vleugels, Karl Laius, JY Kang and Abhishek Goel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The true reason polio poses such a threat
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