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.