Which symptom characterizes abortive poliomyelitis?

• A. Mild febrile illness
• B. Severe meningitis with coma
• C. Paralysis with respiratory failure
• D. Chronic neuropathy

Answer: (D)

Abortive poliomyelitis is the mildest form of polio and shows up as a brief febrile illness with fever, malaise, sore throat, and sometimes mild GI symptoms, without any involvement of the nervous system. There is no paralysis or meningitis, which is why a mild febrile illness best describes this presentation. The other patterns—severe meningitis with coma, paralysis with respiratory failure, or chronic neuropathy—reflect CNS involvement, acute paralytic disease, or long-term sequelae, none of which characterize the abortive form. After recovery, some people may later experience post-polio sequelae years down the line, but that is not part of the abortive illness itself.