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THE DISEASE: Polio is an infectious disease that can cause paralysis and death. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, severe headache, vomiting and a stiff neck. There's no cure.
NEW CASES: Even though health officials consider polio to be largely eradicated in the Western Hemisphere, four cases have been found in an Amish community in Minnesota - the disease's first appearance in the United States since 2000.
DETECTIVE WORK: State health officials say the first case, in an immune-compromised infant, traces back to a live-virus polio vaccine from another country, probably administered within the past three years. State and federal officials are trying to find the source.
OUTBREAK FEARS: The best way to contain polio is to vaccinate everyone. That's why health officials are going door-to-door in the Amish community urging people to get immunized. They face resistance from some on religious grounds.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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