Polio virus, which causes poliomyelitis, is primarily transmitted through the fecal-oral route. This means that the virus can spread when a person ingests contaminated food or water, or by touching surfaces contaminated with the virus and then touching the mouth.
In the context of the options you provided:
-
She shared a dirty needle and injecting drugs with an acquaintance: While this is a risk for other infections (such as HIV or hepatitis), it is not a typical route for the transmission of polio.
-
She didn't thoroughly wash her hands after using the restroom: This is a plausible way to contract the polio virus, as not washing hands can lead to fecal contamination and then ingestion of the virus.
-
She consumed food that wasn't cooked to a safe temperature: This could also be a potential route for polio transmission if the food was contaminated with the virus.
-
She inhaled droplets from a nearby stranger's cough: Polio is not transmitted through respiratory droplets like cold or flu viruses; it primarily spreads through the fecal-oral route.
Given these options, the most likely causes of polio virus transmission in this scenario would be not washing hands after using the restroom and consuming food that wasn't cooked to a safe temperature.