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.
Subscribe to 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.
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floodsCartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Europe's heatwave: the new front line of climate changeIn the Spotlight How will the continent adapt to 'bearing the brunt of climate change'?
-
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
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, changeSpeed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panelspeed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
Children's breakfast cereals are getting more unhealthyUnder the radar Your kids may be starting their day with more than a spoonful of sugar
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kidsSpeed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sickspeed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
A tick-borne illness is making its rounds in new parts of AmericaUnder the radar Babesiosis, spread through blacklegged or deer tick bites, is a growing risk
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last yearspeed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
