How can a person catch poliomyelitis?

Exposure to virus: The oral secretions of an infected patient are contageous before the onset of symptoms & up to two weeks. The patients stool will contain virus for weeks. You can be exposed to droplets of a cough& the virus can be active for days at room temperature on surfaces. Touch it & touch your mouth & you are exposed. It is a human to human only germ, no pets or insects.

Polio: Polio is an enterovirus and is spread from person to person through person to person contact, inadequate hand washing after using the bathroom, drinking contaminated water or sharing utensils with a person who has polio.