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).
Rating Newest Oldest. Best Answer: Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that can be maintained only inside living cells. Whern we refer to something as obligate that indicates that the virus (in this case) must do or behave in the specified manner. Since viruses are obligate intraellular parasites, the term conveys the idea that viruses must carry out their reproduction by parasitizing a host cell.