London Sewage Analysis Finds Polio Virus In UK
Health authorities in the U.K. warned that several related polio viruses have been found in analysis of a London sewage treatment plant over several months earlier this year, implying local spread of the mostly eradicated disease. Separately, global life expectancy fell during the pandemic.
The Wall Street Journal:
Polio Virus Found In London Sewage Puts U.K. On High Alert
Polio has been detected in London’s wastewater system, U.K. health authorities said, putting clinics on high alert for an infectious disease that hasn’t been recorded in Britain for nearly four decades. The U.K. Health Security Agency raised the alarm on Wednesday after it found several closely related polioviruses in sewage samples taken from a treatment facility in east London between February and May. That pattern of detection suggests that a form of the virus has been spreading locally, the agency said. (Roland, 6/22)
In other global developments —
Press Association:
Global Life Expectancy Falls For First Time Since 1950s Due To Covid
Global life expectancy has fallen for the first time since the 1950s following the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new analysis. The analysis, published by the ONE Campaign, has found that global life expectancy has fallen 1.64 years between 2019 and 2021. They warn that the situation could be worsened by a global food security crisis and the impact of climate change. This is the first time that global life expectancy has fallen since records began in 1950. (O'Reilly, 6/23)
The Washington Post:
Former Miss Brazil Dead At 27 After Having Tonsils Removed
The surgery, in April, was routine: Gleycy Correia was having her tonsils removed. But five days later, the former Miss Brazil suffered a hemorrhage and fell into a coma for more than two months. Now Brazil is mourning her loss. Correia, who was crowned Miss Costa do Sol and Miss United Continents Brazil in 2018, died Monday at 27 of kidney failure. She never recovered consciousness. (Herrero, 6/22)
AP:
Top French Official Accused Of Rape During Gynecology Exams
Paris prosecutors have opened a rape investigation into accusations that a member of the French government, a woman who worked as a doctor before joining politics, reportedly performed gynecological exams on two women without their consent. French law defines rape as any act of sexual penetration committed on others by violence, coercion, threat or surprise. (6/22)