can happen anywhere.  No mention of Mexicans here (Pt. 3)    BANGOR DAILY NEWS August 12, 1994 TB gains another foothold   Clair Wood  Tuberculosis has been plaguing humanity from antiquity, however, in recent years, U.S. health officials have treated TB as a disease   that had all but been completely conquered. As recent events   dramatically point out, nothing could be further from the truth. TB   is currently endemic both in prison populations, street people, and   similar at-risk populations but nobody is shielded from the risk of   infection. Recently, nearly a quarter of 1,263 students in a   California high school tested positive for TB with 17 having active   cases. A major TB outbreak is just waiting to happen, says Barry   Bloom of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. This is a   neglected disease that in now going to haunt us. According to Anne   Platt, writing in World Watch magazine, we could be heading back to   the times when TB sanitoriums dotted the landscape and quarantine   signs were nailed to the doors of victims' homes. In 1993, TB killed 2.7million persons worldwide and infected   8.1 million more with the highest numbers in emerging and Third   World nations. The World Health Organization predicts that the   decade of the 1990s will see 30 million deaths with six million in   southern Africa, more than 12 million in the area including India   and surrounding nations, and seven million in east Asia   encompassing Thailand, Viet Nam, Japan, and Pacific nations. By   comparison, only 22,000 deaths from TB are projected for North America and 72,000 in western Europe. Tuberculosis is an opportunistic disease and has been quick to   find a foothold among AIDS victims whose immune systems are already   compromised. The problem is exacerbated by TB patients who have   failed to take their antibiotic regimen for the full six to eight   months needed to fully kill the tuberculosis bacilli. This has given rise to strains of the bacilli that are resistant to as many   as nine of the 11 drugs used to treat the disease. Tuberculosis is only one of many diseases becoming resistant   to antibiotics and researchers point out that recent fatal   outbreaks of TB are not due to the appearance of a particularly   virulent mutant strain of the organism. Rather the emergence of   drug resistance went unnoticed for years while both U.S. and   international surveillance programs went unfunded in favor of more   glamour diseases such as AIDS. For example, the World Health   Organization allowed its tuberculosis unit to dwindle to a single   individual by 1989. This means that researchers must play catch-up   and one frustrated scientist is predicting nothing short of a medical disaster. Platt blames the reemergence of TB on loss of control   programs, more immune-suppressed AIDS victims, and increased   immigration that allows the infection to spread globally.      Unfortuanately her solution, aggressive treatment of active TB   cases with a battery of four drugs is unlikely to work. An article   in a recent Science journal states that Mycobacterium tuberculosis,   the bacterium that causes TB, is resistant to precisely the same   four drugs that she cites. In effect, it may already be too late to counter the reemergence of TB with the drug arsenal now in hand. It   will take time time, lots of it, tofind new drugs effective   against TB. For one thing, it is a very slow-growing bacterium,   taking weeks to culture, and even diagnosis can be frustrating.  TB spreads like wildfire in AIDS patients. By the time we get   culture results, says William Jacobs of Albert Einstein College of   Medicine, the patient is often dead.      Until faster means of diagnosis, and more effective drugs,   are available, preventing the spread of infection by patients with   active cases is a top priority. Many states have laws allowing the   hospital detention of persons unlikely to complete a drug regimen   on their own. The rate of detention in New York City tripled between 1990 and 1991 and is likely to increase. The scary thing   is that TB is going to be transmitted from AIDS patients,   indigents, and released prisoners to the general population, says   one medical microbiologist, it's a very scary prospect.

No, this isn't the case. When American Veterans of the SE-Asian conflicts came home with antibiotic-resistant TB, they generally were isolated and given the effective medications until the disease was cured, or they were sequestered. Even Canada doesn't even see a problem with Mexicans with TB:   Canadian Medical Assn Journal  March 10, 1998   _object_ive: To examine the pattern of tuberculosis (T occurring among   immigrants and the interval from arrival in Canada to diagnosis of the   disease.   Design: Study of all cases of TB diagnosed in foreign-born residents of   southern Alberta during the 5-year period 1990-1994.   Setting: A centre for the diagnosis, management and control of all cases of   TB in the southern half of the province of Alberta.   Methods: All foreign-born patients in whom TB was newly diagnosed between   January 1990 and December 1994 were included in the study. The interval   from their arrival in Canada to diagnosis, their country of birth and the   site of their disease were documented. Results: Immigrants to Canada   accounted for 248 (70.6%) of the 351 cases of   TB diagnosed in southern Alberta during the 5-year period. The majority of   these immigrants (182/248 [73.4%]) were of Asian origin. Extrapulmonary TB   accounted for 111 (61.0%) of the 182 cases of the disease in Asian   immigrants. The mean period between immigration and diagnosis was 11.2   years (standard deviation [SD] 13.9 years). Half of the patients presented   within 7 years of their arrival in Canada. The time to presentation was   shortest for patients with superficial lymph node disease (mean 7.6 years   [SD 6.9] after arrival), intermediate among those with extrapulmonary   disease, excluding superficial disease of the lymph node (10.1 years [SD   12.1]), and longest for those with pulmonary disease (14.2 years [SD   17.2]). TB developed sooner after arrival in Canada among immigrants from   Asian countries (mean 9.1 years) than among those from other countries   (17.2 years) (p = 0.01).   Conclusions: Given the low annual incidence of TB in Canada (7.1 per 100   000), it is probable that TB occurring among immigrants reflects infection   acquired before arrival in Canada. Health care professionals need to be   aware that immigrants from countries with a relatively high prevalence of   TB remain at risk for the disease (often at an extrapulmonary site) for   many years after they immigrate to low-prevalence countries.   The last 3 decades have seen sharp increases in the migration of people   from poorly developed countries to the industrialized regions of the   world.(f.1) This migration has led to rapid changes in demographic   characteristics and in the incidence and distribution of tuberculosis (T   in countries where, until recently, the disease has been spoken of largely   in the past tense.(f.1,2)   People born outside Canada currently account for an estimated 17% of the   population in southern Alberta. Immigrants to Canada are screened for   evidence of pulmonary TB and are treated before immigration if active   disease is diagnosed. Those judged to have inactive pulmonary TB are   required to attend a TB facility after their arrival in Canada and are   offered chemoprophylaxis once the inactive nature of their disease has   been confirmed. This process is designed to minimize the risk of TB among   immigrants and is important as they enter a country where the disease is   uncommon and may not be readily diagnosed. In this 5-year study we   examined the pattern of TB occurring in immigrants to southern Alberta,   including the interval between arrival in Canada and diagnosis.   Population and methods   Tuberculosis Services for Southern Alberta manages all cases of TB   diagnosed in the population of the southern half of the province   (approximately 1.2 million). Data relating to these cases were collected   during the 5-year period from January 1990 to December 1994. The data were   stored in Alberta's provincial TB data_base_, and additional information was   recorded in a separate data_base_. At the time of diagnosis, information was   collected from the patient and, for those born outside Canada, from   immigration documents this information included age, sex, country of   birth and year of arrival in Canada (if applicable). The site or sites of   TB were determined from the clinical, radiologic, mycobacterial and   histologic information, and these data together with the method of   diagnosis were recorded. Cases of TB with lung involvement (excluding   disseminated T were classified as pulmonary TB irrespective of   involvement at other sites and irrespective of the presenting site. Thus,   for example, a patient with proven TB of the cervical lymph node was   listed as having pulmonary TB if there was radiologic evidence suggesting   post-primary pulmonary TB.   This report includes all of the cases of TB diagnosed in those born outside   Canada for the 5-year period of the study. The data were analysed to   determine the period from arrival in Canada to diagnosis and to relate   that interval to the country of origin, the age of the subject and the   site of disease. The age data were analysed with Student's t-test or   analysis of variance, and data relating to the period to diagnosis were   analysed with the Kruskal-Wallis test for 2 groups or the Kruskal-Wallis   one-way analysis of variance (EpiInfo, ver. 6, Centers for Disease Control   and Prevention, Atlanta, 1994).   Results   A total of 351 new cases of TB were diagnosed in southern Alberta during   the 5-year period of this study, and the annual incidence of the disease   in this region was 5.8 per 100 000 (95% confidence interval 4.9 to 7.2).   Immigrants to Canada accounted for 248 (70.6%) of the cases. On the basis   of a mid-study estimate that foreign-born residents accounted for 16% of   the population of southern Alberta, the annual incidence of TB in this   group was 25.8 per 100 000, which is more than 21 times greater than the   annual incidence among Canadian-born, nonaboriginal residents (1.2 per 100   000). Of the immigrants, 182 (73.4%) were born in Asia and 66 in other   regions. Most of the Asian immigrants were from China, Hong Kong, Vietnam,   the Philippines and the Indian subcontinent.   The median period between arrival in Canada and diagnosis of TB was 7   years the mean period was 11.2 years (standard deviation [SD] 13.9   years). The disease was diagnosed within 1 year of arrival in 24   immigrants, of whom 11 had only extrapulmonary disease. The screening   program whereby immigrants suspected of having inactive TB are required to   report for assessment resulted in the detection of 24 (10%) of the cases   of TB among immigrants. The diagnosis was made within a mean of 0.5 years   (SD 0.6) after arrival in Canada for those detected through the immigrant   screening program this period was significantly shorter than the average   12.3 years (SD 14.2) for the other cases among immigrants (p <0.001,   Kruskal-Wallis 2-sample test). Analysis by age categories (decades) for   the 234 immigrants who were between 10 and 79 years of age at the time of   immigration showed no significant difference in the period between arrival   and diagnosis on the basis of age at immigration (p = 0.17, Kruskal-Wallis   one-way analysis of variance), although there was a trend for a longer   period to diagnosis among younger immigrants. There was no significant   difference in mean age between immigrants with TB who were born in Asia   and those born in other regions. However, the mean interval between   arrival in Canada and diagnosis of disease was shorter for those from Asia   (9.1 years, SD 11.7) than for those born in other regions (17.2 years, SD   17.5) (p = 0.01, Kruskal-Wallis 2-sample test). Only 100 (40.3%) of the   cases were diagnosed within 5 years, and half of the patients (124)   presented 7 years or more after arrival. Other comparisons between   immigrants with TB born in Asia and those born in other regions are   presented in Table 1.   The site of TB was related to the interval between arrival and diagnosis.[  This interval was shortest for patients with lymph node disease (mean 7.6   years, SD 6.9), intermediate for those with non-lymph node extrapulmonary   disease (mean 10.1 years, SD 12.1) and longest for those with pulmonary   disease (mean 14.2 years, SD 17.2) (p = 0.3, Kruskal-Wallis one-way   analysis of variance). Table 2 compares the median period between arrival   and diagnosis for the different sites of disease among Asian and other   immigrants. Two cases of primary disease developed 1 and 3 years after   arrival in 2 non-Asian children aged 3 and 5 years respectively.   Chemoprophylaxis with isoniazid had been offered and accepted by 6 of the   foreign-born patients in whom TB subsequently developed. TB was diagnosed   by mycobacterial culture in 5 of these patients, and in each case the   organism was susceptible to isoniazid.   Discussion   It is important that immigrants to Canada be assessed for TB before they   arrive in this country and that arrangements be made for initial   surveillance of those with evidence of pulmonary TB on pre-immigration   chest radiographs. The risk of TB for immigrants is the same as prevails   in their countries of origin,(f.3) but there may be little general   awareness among physicians that foreign-born residents remain at   significant risk for many years after their arrival in Canada. Other North   American studies have suggested that most cases of TB develop within the   first 5 years after immigration.(f.4,5) However, only 40% of the cases in   the present study were diagnosed within 5 years of arrival, and in half of   the cases, the disease developed more than 7 years after immigration. The   nature of this study might hide a relation
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Now we have to duck and weave old virulent diseases because the undocumented don't get checked over before entering.  My comment did not address the question of testing in schools and prisons in CA and the western states, but about being checked over before entering.

Tiny Human Ferret < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it wrote in message The explosion in non-curable strains of TB occurred because our troops in Southeast Asia brought it home during and after the war there. No, this isn't the case. When American Veterans of the SE-Asian conflicts came home with antibiotic-resistant TB, they generally were isolated and given the effective medications until the disease was cured, or they were sequestered. Antibiotic-resistance is a simple consequence of failure to take the effective antibiotics until all of the disease organisms are overwhelmed. It can happen anywhere. At present, the two major sources worldwide of antibiotic-resistance in TB are the Russian prisons, and illegal immigrants crossing and recrossing the border with Mexico. No mention of Mexico or Mexicans here (Pt. 1) Newsday, October 23, 1997, TB HOT ZONES SPREAD FEARED By Delthia Ricks. Highly disingenuous of you to post the few ersearchable cites which _don't_ specifically mention Mexico. Try this, specific to US/Mexico efforts: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5001a1.htm Preventing and Controlling Tuberculosis Along the U.S.-Mexico Border Work Group Report The following CDC staff members prepared this report: Mark N. Lobato, M.D. J. Peter Cegielski, M.D., M.P.H. Division of Tuberculosis Elimination National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention in collaboration with the following Tuberculosis Along the U.S. - Mexico Border Work Group members: (etc etc)

Tiny Human Ferret < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it wrote in message No, this isn't the case. When American Veterans of the SE-Asian conflicts came home with antibiotic-resistant TB, they generally were isolated and given the effective medications until the disease was cured, or they were sequestered. Antibiotic-resistance is a simple consequence of failure to take the effective antibiotics until all of the disease organisms are overwhelmed. It can happen anywhere.  No mention of Mexicans here (Pt. 3)    BANGOR DAILY NEWS August 12, 1994 TB gains another foothold   Clair Wood  Tuberculosis has been plaguing humanity from antiquity, however, in recent years, U.S. health officials have treated TB as a disease   that had all but been completely conquered. As recent events   dramatically point out, nothing could be further from the truth. TB   is currently endemic both in prison populations, street people, and   similar at-risk populations but nobody is shielded from the risk of   infection. Recently, nearly a quarter of 1,263 students in a   California high school tested positive for TB with 17 having active   cases. A major TB outbreak is just waiting to happen, says Barry   Bloom of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. This is a   neglected disease that in now going to haunt us. According to Anne   Platt, writing in World Watch magazine, we could be heading back to   the times when TB sanitoriums dotted the landscape and quarantine   signs were nailed to the doors of victims' homes. In 1993, TB killed 2.7million persons worldwide and infected   8.1 million more with the highest numbers in emerging and Third   World nations. And where exactly do you think _Californians_ got antibiotic-resistant TB got it from? almost certainly from Mexican ILLEGAL ALIENS.

Tiny Human Ferret < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it wrote in message No, this isn't the case. When American Veterans of the SE-Asian conflicts came home with antibiotic-resistant TB, they generally were isolated and given the effective medications until the disease was cured, or they were sequestered. Even Canada doesn't even see a problem with Mexicans with TB:   Canadian Medical Assn Journal  March 10, 1998   _object_ive: To examine the pattern of tuberculosis (T occurring among   immigrants and the interval from arrival in Canada to diagnosis of the   disease.   Design: Study of all cases of TB diagnosed in foreign-born residents of   southern Alberta during the 5-year period 1990-1994. Note the dates of the research. You're citing ancient history. Canada didn't hardly _have_ any Mexican illegal aliens in that time _frame_. The Mexican Mass Emigration didn't start until 1995.