Fact check: Polio is caused by a virus, not pesticides

USA Today
A Jan. 22 Instagram post features several black and white photos that appear to show people being sprayed with white fumes.

“Polio wasnt (sic) some single strain virus eradicated by a miracle vax,” the post reads. “It was pesticides like Lead Arsenate and its more lethal replacement DDT that lead to lower spine lesions through the gut.”

The post received more than 10,000 likes in five days.

Our rating: False
Scientists say polio is caused by a virus, not by pesticides. A vaccine was developed for polio in the 1950s which led to it being eliminated in North and South America by 1994.

No link between DDT, polio
Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a Stanford University professor who studies global health, infectious diseases and epidemiology, said the notion that polio could be caused by DDT is wrong, flying in the face of more than a century of science and evidence.

"I can't think of a scientific reason why anyone would think an environmental substance would cause this disease," she said.

Several decades ago, researchers had identified medical conditions that could lead to paralytic syndromes that appeared similar to polio. They included spinal injuries, venom from certain spiders and snakes and poisoning with chemicals, including certain pesticides. MORE