This One is for Lou Dobbs

Newmexican · ALIPAC Super Hero Joined: May 26, 2005 Posts: 3566

I watched Lou Dobbs have to apologize tonight for his statements concerning the 7000 cases of leprosy in the US. He was attacked by the New York Times about his statements.
This is an article from the New York times dated February 18, 2003. If you read it you see that the New York Times printed an article that says there were 7000 new cases of leprosy in the US many of which are immigrants from "hot spots"

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9406E0D81E3AF93BA25751C0A9659C8B63&n=Top%2fNews%2fHealth%2fDiseases%2c%20Conditions%2c%20and%20Health%20Topics%2fLeprosy%20%28Hansen%27s%20Disease%29

By SHARON LERNER
Published: February 18, 2003
When the rash on his chest first appeared, the 48-year-old office worker dismissed it as an allergic reaction to the shellfish he had recently eaten. His doctor agreed and prescribed an ointment.

But when the red bumps did not go away after several months and began to spread to his legs, arms and face, the man began to worry. He saw another doctor, who had no explanation for his condition, and finally another, who gave him a correct if startling diagnosis: leprosy.

In the United States, leprosy is usually regarded as a plague of the past, a disease relegated to biblical times or, perhaps, to poor and distant countries. But, in fact, as cases of leprosy have been declining worldwide in recent years, the infection has actually been on the rise in the United States.

While there were some 900 recorded cases in the United States 40 years ago, today more than 7,000 people have leprosy, or Hansen's disease, as it is now called. ''And those are the ones we know about,'' said Dr. William Levis, attending physician at Bellevue Hospital's Hansen's Disease Clinic. ''There are probably many, many more.''

Recasting leprosy as an American disease is critical to helping doctors identify those other undetected cases, but drawing attention to a condition that has become synonymous with stigma has proved to be challenging.

The disease, even with its sanitized name, can still confer pariah status on the victim. Thus, there is no sign on the door announcing Bellevue's clinic, even though it has almost 500 people receiving regular outpatient care and is one of only 11 federal Hansen's disease centers. On a recent morning, a sampling of patients, all of them wishing to remain anonymous, said they were loath to tell others about their diagnoses.

A Queens man tells his friends that the bumpy patches on his arms are allergies, and a stylish college student has kept her infection secret from everyone but her grandmother. A 61-year-old Staten Island man who is being treated for a recurrence of leprosy he first contracted 40 years ago says he still has not told his wife of 33 years.

Most of those infected in this country are immigrants from global leprosy hot spots, like Brazil, India and the Caribbean.
But, in the past six years, Dr. Levis and his colleagues have proved that a handful of his patients -- including a 73-year-old man from Queens who had never been out of the country and an elderly Jewish man from Westchester -- have contracted leprosy here.

As a result, the disease is now officially endemic to the Northeastern United States for the first time ever. (Cases of leprosy transmission in the Southeast date as far back as the turn of the 19th century.) And leprosy experts think that even some foreign-born people with the infection may have acquired it in immigrant communities here.

Dr. Levis has tried to increase other physicians' awareness of the disease through mailings, telephone calls and lectures. Still, leprosy's symptoms -- bumpy rashes, skin indentations and loss of feeling in hands and feet -- are often misdiagnosed for a variety of disorders, including bug bites and lupus. One man with advanced leprosy even underwent surgery for what was thought to be thyroid cancer before his infection was correctly identified.

Promptly recognized, the disease can be relatively easy to treat. With a standard regimen of multiple drugs, a vast majority of people with leprosy cease to be contagious within three months and become free of the bacteria that cause it in two to five years. Without treatment, though, the disease can be spread.

While questions remain about the exact route of transmission, the bacteria are thought to be passed through the respiratory droplets of an infected person. Untreated infections can also result in serious complications, including the loss of toes or limbs.

That is what happened to a 47-year-old father of four who was born in Guyana. He spent years in search of a doctor who could help him with his escalating skin problems, but dermatologists did not know what to make of the red and white spots on his face and body, first appearing in the early 1980's. When he arrived at a Brooklyn emergency room a few years later, no one guessed the cause of his severe foot infection, even when it resulted in the loss of one toe and part of another.

At the Hansen's disease centers, such serious foot problems are often prevented with special shoes and physical therapy. Patients are also warned not to spend too much time on their feet, because their lack of sensitivity to the strains of standing and walking make them prone to sores and infections.

But, with many cases going undiagnosed and untreated for years, a quarter of leprosy patients in this country end up with disfigurement and disability that persist even after the bacteria that caused them are banished.

The disease's permanent aftereffects include muscle atrophy, foot dragging, blindness, a contraction of the fingers that doctors call ''claw hand,'' and, among men, infertility.

Both because of these problems and because of the mythic taint that saddles its victims, leprosy and its diagnosis can bring a mix of shock and relief. As Dr. Levis ran a swab over his patient's legs testing for numbness, the man from Guyana reflected on his appreciation for his doctor.

''When he started explaining things to me, I thought he was crazy,'' the patient said. ''Leprosy? Hansen's disease? I said, no, not me.''

But after 15 years in which his doctor first cleared the leprosy-causing bacteria from his body and then doggedly tried to alleviate the numbness, limping and severe case of claw hand that it brought, the patient changed his mind about Dr. Levis.

''He's the only one who was able to help me with all this stuff,'' the patient said, ''so I guess he's not crazy after all.''

Then there is this from Columbia

http://jscms.jrn.columbia.edu/cns/2005-03-15/whitford-americanleprosy/

Leprosy in America: new cause for concernBy Ben Whitford

In her senior year of high school, Nicole Holmes, a Trinidadian immigrant living in Atlanta, Ga., fell heavily against a balance beam during gym class. She thought nothing more of it--but a few days later developed a rash on her knee, which was still numb and tingling where she had knocked it. “I could stick a needle in it and I wouldn’t feel it,” she said.
Baffled, her doctor took a biopsy. And, although by now Holmes suspected something was seriously amiss, she was still shocked when the doctor told her what was wrong.

She had leprosy.

A new case of leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is diagnosed somewhere in the world every 60 seconds, but in the United States outbreaks remain rare. Only about 130 new cases are discovered each year, mostly among immigrants from areas such as Mexico, India or the Caribbean, where the disease is more widespread.

Over 100 cases were found in immigrants last year, more than double the number in 2000, and, while the number of cases is still comparatively small, some researchers believe the trend could lead to leprosy spreading to the U.S.-born population.
“It’s creeping into the U.S.,” said Dr. William Levis, head of the New York Hansen’s Disease Clinic. “This is a real phenomenon. It’s a public health threat. New York is endemic now, and nobody’s noticed. Tracking leprosy among immigrants can be difficult, but leprosy is already endemic in Texas, and numbers are rising in New York and California--all states with high immigrant populations. Dr. Levis said he believes America could be on the brink of an epidemic similar to those that swept Brazil and led to the country becoming a global leprosy hotspot.
“We just don’t know when these epidemics are going to occur,” he said. “But we’re on the cusp of it here, because we’re starting to see endemic cases that we didn’t see 25 years ago.”

At present, only about two dozen new cases of leprosy are found in US-born patients each year, a number that has not changed for decades, said Steve Pfeifer, head of statistics and epidemiology at the National Hansen’s Disease Program.

But the short time between many immigrants’ entry to the US and their diagnosis with leprosy suggests that some immigrants, mostly from Mexico, may now be coming to the U.S. specifically to seek treatment, Pfeifer said.
“They’re coming to be treated because they get treatment free and probably get better treatment here,” he said. “Somebody down there diagnoses them and says, ‘Hey, you’ve got leprosy, and your best course of action is probably high-tailing to the U.S.’”

Since the disease remains contagious until patients receive their first course of medication, an influx of diagnosed but untreated patients could lead to leprosy spreading into the US-born population.

Pfeifer said he had not made an official report on the trend for fear that anti-immigrant groups would call for a crackdown on centers providing free care for illegal aliens. He stressed that people with leprosy become non-infectious almost immediately after they receive treatment--and that most people who are exposed to leprosy in others never succumb to the disease.

Dr. Terry Williams, who runs a Houston-based clinic serving leprosy patients across southern Texas, said that the bulk of the cases treated by his clinic were immigrants. “A lot of our cases are imported,” he said. “We see patients from everywhere--Africa, the Philippines, China, South America.” And at least some of those patients, he confirmed, were coming to the U.S. specifically to seek treatment. “Certainly we do see some of that,” he said. “We’ve had even a couple of patients from Cuba who were put on a boat by Castro just to get them out of the country--they made their way here through Mexico and Central America basically just to get treated.”“We treat them; our job isn’t to be immigration police," he added.

Not all experts are so worried about an impending epidemic. Dr. Denis Daumerie, head of the World Health Organization’s leprosy elimination program, said fears that immigrants might lead to a resurgence of leprosy in the US were a little overblown. “There is no risk of an epidemic of leprosy,” he said. “There’s absolutely no risk that the few immigrants who are affected by the disease, if they are diagnosed and treated, will spread the disease in the US.”

The problem, researchers say, is that leprosy isn’t easy to diagnose, especially for doctors with no previous experience of the disease. American doctors often mistake it for other conditions like eczema or diabetes; and one recent study found that the average patient shows symptoms of leprosy for over two years before receiving an accurate diagnosis.

That means people remain infectious for longer--and are more likely to suffer serious health problems as a result of the disease. “You tend to find a higher disability rate in low-endemic countries because people don’t know about leprosy,” said Christopher Doyle, president of the American Leprosy Mission. “It’s out of sight, out of mind. People just don’t think about leprosy in the United States.”

For those who do receive timely treatment, however, prospects are good.
After a long course of medication, and extensive physical therapy, Nicole Holmes from Trinidad has regained sensation in her knee. She still has a few marks that won’t clear up, but she can pass them off as birthmarks if anyone asks.

Holmes will always have to be on the lookout for a return of the symptoms, but she gave birth recently and is now more concerned about raising her young son.

“If it’s going to happen it’s going to happen,” she said. “I just have to continue living.”
bdw2104@columbia.edu

This is a directory of clinics that treat Hansen's disease, "Leprosy". I am sure they have all of the numbers.

http://bphc.hrsa.gov/NHDP/DIRECTORY_OF_CLINICS_AMBULATORY_CARE.htm

Ambulatory Care Program
National Hansen's Disease Programs
1770 Physicians Park Drive
Physicians Plaza II
Baton Rouge LA 70816
Phone: 1-800-642-2477
Fax: (225) 756-3806

Boston Hansen's Disease Clinic
Lahey Medical Center
41 Mall Road
Burlington, MA 01805
Phone: (781) 744-5670
Fax: (781) 744-5687
(Once a month)
(Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon )
Primary Physician: Dr. Samuel Moschella
Public Health Nurse: Ms. Stephanie Burns, RN

Chicago Hansen's Disease Clinic
University of Illinois
College of Medicine at Chicago
Dept. of Dermatology, (MC 624)
808 South Wood, RM 376 CME
Chicago, IL 60612
Phone: (312) 996-0734
Fax: (312) 355-0870
Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Primary Physician: Dr. Carlotta Hill
Public Health Nurse: Ms. Laquata Sanders, RN, BSN

Los Angeles Hansen's Disease Clinic
LAC, USC Medical Center
Section of Dermatology
Room 8440
1200 North State Street
Los Angeles CA 90033
Phone: (323) 226-5240
Fax: (323) 226-2654 (attn: "Hansen's Disease")
(Monday and Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)
Primary Physician: Dr. Thomas Rea
Program Nurse: Ms. Helen Mora, RN
Occupational Therapist: Robert Jerskey, OTR

Martinez Hansen's Disease Clinic
Contra Costa Regional Medical Center
Outpatient Specialty Clinic
2500 Alhambra Avenue
Martinez, CA 94553
Phone: (925) 313-6726
Fax: (925) 370-5279
Clinc Hrs: Tuesday mornings, 8:00 a.m - 12:00 a.m.
2nd and 4th Tuesdays, all day, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Maria Soto, Community Health Worker (925) 370-5868
Primary Physicians: Dr. Sonia Sutherland
Dr. Ken Saffer
Public Health Nurse: Ms. Elise Judy, RN

Miami Hansen's Disease Clinic
Jackson Memorial Hospital
Ambulatory Care Center
1611 N. W. 12th Avenue
Miami FL 33136
Phone: (305) 585-7348
Fax: (305) 585-6397
(Monday - Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
Primary Physician: Dr. Anne Burdick
Public Health Nurse: Ms. Gail Chepenik, RN

New York Hansen's Disease Clinic
Bellevue Hospital Center
Department of Dermatology
Room 17-N-7
462 First Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Phone: (212) 562-6096
Fax: (212) 263-6423
Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Primary Physician: Dr. William Levis
Public Health Nurse: Ms. Aloys Cabrera, RN
Physical Therapist: Louis Iannuzzi, PT, CPed

Phoenix Hansen's Disease Clinic
Maricopa County Health Dept.
1825 East Roosevelt Street
Phoenix AZ 85006
Phone: (602) 372-6661
Fax: (602) 506-6615
Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(Once a month - Call for scheduling)
Primary Physician: Dr. Ronald Pust
Public Health Nurse: Ms. Theresa Perry, RN

San Diego Hansen's Disease Clinic
North Central Public Health Center
2440 Grand Avenue
San Diego, CA 92109
Phone: (858) 490-4400
Fax: (858) 490-4405
Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Primary Physician: Dr. D. A. Lopez
Public Health Nurse: Ms. Carmen Rodriguez, RN
Occupational Therapist: Rob Jerskey, OTR

San Juan Hansen's Disease Clinic
University of Puerto Rico
School of Medicine - Dept. of Dermatology
P.O. Box 365067
San Juan PR 00936-5067
Phone: (787) 765-7950
Fax: (787) 767-0467
(Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon)
Primary Physician: Dr. Pablo Almodovar
Public Health Nurse: Ms. Sonia Santos-Exposito, RN

Seattle Hansen's Disease Clinic
Harborview Medical Center
2 West Clinic, Box 359930
325 Ninth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104-2499
Phone: (206) 731-5100
Fax: (206) 731-5109
Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Primary Physician: Dr. James Harnish
Public Health Nurse: Ms. Virginia Ouellet, RN
Physical Therapist: Tom McClure, PT, CHT

Texas Dept. of State Health Services
Hansen's Disease Program
For Statewide Information
1100 West 49th Street
Austin TX 78756-3199
Phone: (800) 252-8239 Option 5
Fax: (512) 458-7451
Program Director: Ms. Linda Brown, MS, RN

Dallas County Health Department
2377 N. Stemmons Freeway, Ste. 522
Dallas TX 75207-2710
Phone: (214) 819-2010
Fax: (214) 819-6095
(4th Friday of each month, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. )
Primary Physician: Dr. Jack Cohen
Public Health Nurse: Ms. Nancy Bernstein, RN

Houston Health & Human Services Dept.
Houston Hansen's Disease Clinic
Northside Health Center
8504 Schuller
Houston TX 77093
Phone: (713) 794-9928
Fax: (713) 873-4171
(Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Primary Physician: Dr. Terry Williams
Public Health Nurse: Ms. Maya Glover, RN

Texas Center for Infectious Disease
2303 S.E. Military Dr.
San Antonio TX 78223
Phone: (210) 534-8857 ext. 2327
Fax: (210) 534-4508
(Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.)
Primary Physicians: Dr. Robert N. Longfield
Public Health Nurse: Ms. Debbie Mata, RN

South Texas Health Care Center
OPCL
601 W. Sesame Drive
Harlingen TX 78550
Phone: (956) 423-0130
Fax: (956) 444-3295
Thursdays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(Twice a month)
Primary Physician: Dr. Richard Wing

The Ambulatory Hansen's Disease Program maintains an active physician referral list which includes more than 900 private physicians in all parts of the United States. If you would like the name of a physician in a particular area, please contact the Ambulatory Hansen's Disease Program via their 1-800-642-2477 telephone number.

Information on the Hawaiian Hansen's Disease Program can be obtained by calling (808) 733-9831.

Now, I seem to remmber that about a year ago we had some postings from each state prison system that gave the pervcentages of non citizens prisoners. Anyone remember where it went?