Thread: A Deadly Disease Makes an Unwelcome Comeback

A disease that is familiar to Americans who read Victorian-era novels is making a modern comeback, in versions that are resistant to today’s advanced medical technologies. Why is it spreading, and who is vulnerable? FSM Contributing Editor Pam Meister has a report that will stun you.

A Deadly Disease Makes an Unwelcome Comeback
By Pam Meister

A lot of media time has been given to covering incidents of staph infection at schools throughout the country within the past week or two (including one in my town). Unfortunately, that’s not the only heath risk on the rise today in America.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly contagious disease that, like the common cold, is spread through the air – but with much more serious consequences than a few sniffles. TB is a bacterial disease that affects mainly the lungs (known as pulmonary TB), but can also spread throughout the body, attacking many different systems. It is potentially fatal.

Incidences of what used to be a dreaded disease here in the United States have gone down steadily within the past 50-60 years due to the development of vaccines and treatment, including antibiotics and chemotherapy. 2006 was our best year yet, with only 13,767 cases reported. However, there are some populations within the U.S. that are affected by the disease more than others:

"Tuberculosis continues to have a significant and unacceptable impact on minorities and immigrant communities in the United States," said Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of CDC's National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention. "Blacks and Hispanics have tuberculosis rates that are about eight times higher than that of whites, and the rate for Asians is more than 21 times that of whites. Foreign-born individuals living in the United States have nearly 10 times the rate of TB as those born in the United States."

Why would TB have “a significant and unacceptable impactâ€

Yea and these same illegals are part of our food chain! Wonderful!