Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to paralysis, breathing problems, or even death. The term poliomyelitis is from the Greek polios poliÃ³s meaning, grey myelos myelÃ³s referencing the, spinal-cord and itis. Meaning inflammation polio can be classified as either symptomatic. or asymptomatic
1 Prions are proteins that can force conformational changes in natural proteins and seem to cause disease (kuru, new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and fatal familial insomnia).  A virus is an obligate intracellular pathogen (meaning that it must live within the cells of its host in order to reproduce).
The rickettsia are bacteria which are obligate intracellular parasites. They are considered a separate group of bacteria because they have the common feature of being spread by arthropod vectors (lice, fleas, mites and ticks).