The Stream, October 29: Syria’s Polio Outbreak in Food & Water?

Public Health
At least 10 children have been sickened and paralyzed by a polio outbreak in Syria, which World Health Organization officials fear could spread rapidly among young children in the war-torn country and its neighbors, Reuters reported. The disease can spread through contaminated food and water, and many children in Syria are now vulnerable after years of war made preventative vaccinations difficult.

Water supplies contaminated by the pesticides that have helped turn India into an agricultural powerhouse may be causing cancer rates to spike in some areas, Bloomberg News reported. In northern India, one train carries so many sick people to hospitals for toxin testing that it has been dubbed the “Cancer Express”.

U.S. Water
An interactive feature from The New York Times shares the stories of survivors of Hurricane Sandy, many who are still feeling the effects of the storm a year later. The storm raised pressing questions about climate change and how the biggest cities are preparing for it.

After weeks of deadlock that led to a shutdown of the federal government, it was a water spending bill that finally convinced Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives to work together, according to this report from Reuters. The Water Resources Reform and Development Act includes measures to benefit approximately half of all states.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek