--- title: "A Brief List of Bizarre Diseases Currently Spreading in the United States" description: "Another day, another terrifying piece of health news. In light of the horrific but somehow not that surprising (although that could just be the two+ years of collective disassociation talking) confirmed New York case of — checks notes — POLIO, we've decided to compile a helpful list of all the trending contagions that you probably […]" date: "2022-07-22" modified: "2022-07-22" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/list-bizarre-diseases-spreading-united-states" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "covid" - "disease outbreak" - "monkeypox" - "polio" --- # A Brief List of Bizarre Diseases Currently Spreading in the United States ![In light of the confirmed New York case of — checks notes — POLIO, here are all of the trending contagions to watch out for this summer.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* Another day, another terrifying piece of health news. In light of the horrific-but-somehow-not-entirely-surprising [confirmed United States case]() of — checks notes — *polio*, we've decided to compile a helpful list of all the trending contagions that you probably want to watch out for. Happy weekend! ## Polio Big shoutout to the new/old kid on the block! According [to *CNBC*](), health officials in New York declared yesterday afternoon that they've confirmed the first US case of polio in over a decade. Yes, the same polio that America had [previously eradicated]() with vaccines. Nice job, [antivaxxers](). The notably unvaccinated individual who contracted the potentially disease is a resident of Rockland County, a New York City suburb. They were admitted into the hospital after experiencing severe symptoms including paralysis. *CNBC* reports that officials believe the infected person contracted the strain — called Sabin Type 2 — from someone who had received the oral polio vaccine. As the oral vaccine is [no longer distributed]() in the US, doctors believe they probably caught the virus abroad. "I want to stress that this individual is no longer contagious," Rockland County executive Ed Day said in Thursday news conference, [*The New York Times* reports](). "Our efforts now are focused on two issues: vaccinations and figuring out if anyone else has been impacted by this disease." ## Monkeypox The first US case of Monkeypox — a [painful, rashy virus]() that's [historically been contained]() to [parts of Africa](), but broke out at European raves a few months ago and has [since spread further]() — was discovered in Massachusetts back in May, and has now been reported in multiple parts of the country, with several thousand confirmed cases. Health officials believe that the virus [is mainly being transmitted through sex](). ## COVID-19 Hello darkness, my old friend. The new COVID-19 variant — [called BA.5]() — dropped just a few weeks ago, and currently has President Joe Biden [locked away in the White House](), doing paperwork with no tie (because [that's what presidents do]() if they have COVID, apparently). By the numbers, this is actually still the big one on this list. Shamefully, around 400 Americans are still dying from this one every single day — and compared to most other moments during the pandemic, that's actually progress. However, this variant has shown high numbers of re-infection and hospitalization. Protocols remain the same: wash your hands regularly, [limit contact](), wear a mask as needed, and [get vaccinated](). ## Honorable Mention: Snail Meningitis Okay, there hasn't been outbreak of this *yet,* but it's worth noting that as we speak, [invasive Giant African Snails]() running rampant in Florida are carrying a something called rat lungworm — a potentially deadly pathogen that can cause meningitis in humans. But let's keep it that way. At one point, after all, COVID and Monkeypox — nevermind polio — seemed like remote threats. So, yeah. Happy Friday, everyone. And if you're in Florida, please don't touch any snails. **More on upsetting health news:** [*Please No! Lawsuit Claims Toxic Ingredient in Delicious Skittles*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()