A highly infectious, life-threatening disease that was eradicated from the U.S. in 1979 was recently discovered in wastewater samples in New York. Health officials said there was a confirmed case of the poliovirus in a Rockland County, just north of New York City, The Guardian reports.
The New York State Department of Health collected a sample of the infected wastewater in June, meaning that "the virus was present in the community before the Rockland County adult's diagnosis was made public on 21 July," The Guardian added. The department said that "when samples such as these are identified, it raises concerns about the potential of community spread," Reuters notes.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Polio is known for causing irreversible paralysis and anyone can get it regardless of age, but the majority of individuals affected are children ages 3 and younger.
The CDC said that laboratory tests confirmed the strain was genetically linked to one found in Israel and samples of the virus in the United Kingdom.
New York health officials are working to open vaccine clinics for residents to get their Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) — the only vaccine for the virus that has been administered in the U.S. since 2000.
-
5 artfully drawn cartoons about Donald Trump's Epstein doodleCartoons Artists take on a mountainous legacy, creepy art, and more
-
Violent videos of Charlie Kirk’s death are renewing debate over online censorshipTalking Points Social media ‘promises unfiltered access, but without guarantees of truth and without protection from harm’
-
What led to Poland invoking NATO’s Article 4 and where could it lead?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION After a Russian drone blitz, Warsaw’s rare move to invoke the important NATO statute has potentially moved Europe closer to continent-wide warfare
-
Quit-smoking ads are being put outUnder the radar The dissolution of a government-funded campaign could lead to more smokers in the future
-
Sloth fever shows no signs of slowing downThe explainer The vector-borne illness is expanding its range
-
Texas declares end to measles outbreakSpeed Read The vaccine-preventable disease is still spreading in neighboring states, Mexico and Canada
-
RFK Jr. shuts down mRNA vaccine funding at agencySpeed Read The decision canceled or modified 22 projects, primarily for work on vaccines and therapeutics for respiratory viruses
-
Forever chemicals were found in reusable menstrual products. That is nothing new for women.Under the Radar Toxic chemicals are all too common in such products
-
Not just a number: how aging rates vary by countryThe explainer Inequality is a key factor
-
Children's health has declined in the USThe Explainer It's likely a sign of larger systemic issues
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year highSpeed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
