Poliovirus is very contagious. It spreads through contact with the stool (poop) of an infected person or droplets from a sneeze or cough. If you get stool or droplets from an infected person on your hands and you touch your mouth, you can get infected. Also, if your child puts objects, like toys, that have stool or droplets on them into their mouth, they can get infected.
Yes, poliomyelitis is a contagious viral illness that in its most severe form causes nerve injury leading to paralysis, difficulty in breathing and sometimes death.