Formerly Eradicated Diseases, Return To US With Unscreened Immigration

Getty Images

[From article]

Six diseases that were recently near eradication are making a comeback in the United States, as the taxpayer funded refugee resettlement industry launches a propaganda blitz about the so-called World Refugee Day this Monday.
The returning diseases are;
1. Tuberculosis
2. Measles
3. Whooping Cough
4. Mumps
5. Scarlet Fever
6. Bubonic Plague
The near eradication of these diseases in the United States during the twentieth century was a remarkable accomplishment of American civilization. Until recently, most Americans believed these diseases were gone from our shores for good.
But a politicized public health system, and a rise in the subsidized migration into the United States, however, have combined to reverse a century of progress.
The number of foreign-born residents of the country has increased by 31 million in three decades, from 11 million in 1986 to 42 million in 2015. Immigration to the United States during this period has come from Middle Eastern, African, Asian, South American and Central American countries where all these diseases are prevalent. The extra 31 million have arrived in a number of ways: approximately 3 million are refugees, 11 million are illegal immigrants, and the remainder are legal immigrants, asylees, and parolees.
[. . .]
These six “comeback” diseases are not the only ones of concern to America’s public health.
A number of other diseases, some of which are prevalent among foreign born residents of the United States and foreign visitors, also present a current problem, to varying degrees, including zika, flesh eating parasites—cutaneous leishmaniasis, ebola, leprosy, intestinal parasites, HIV, scabies, and diptheria.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/06/19/diseases-thought-eradicated-world-refugee-day/

Six Diseases Return To US as Migration Advocates Celebrate ‘World Refugee Day’
by MICHAEL PATRICK LEAHY

19 Jun 2016

Updated: Contagious Tuberculosis Arriving With Increased Foreign Born Population

Posted June 9, 2016 8:54 PM Et; Last updated June 14, 2016 8:39 PM ET



[Updated June 14, 2016 8:39 PM]
[From article]
Ten of the approximately 8,000 refugees who were resettled in Colorado by the federal government between 2011 and 2015 were diagnosed with active tuberculosis shortly after their arrival, according to the Tuberculosis in Colorado: 2015 report published by the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment.
A number of other states have also reported refugees have arrived with active TB, as Breitbart News reported previously. Four refugees with active TB were resettled in Indiana in 2015, and eleven refugees with active TB were resettled in Florida in the three years from 2013 to 2015.
[. . .]
High latent TB infection (LTBI) rates among resettled refugees are well documented, in addition to these cases of active TB.
Over the five years between 2011 and 2015, the latent TB infection rate of the 1,500 out of 8,000 refugees resettled in Colorado who had been flagged for TB in overseas medical screenings ranged from 27 percent to 41 percent. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment tells Breitbart News that it may take another week to provide LTBI infection rates for all 8,000 of these resettled refugees.
At least eight other states, in compliance with the Refugee Act of 1980, have reported LTBI infection rates among newly arrived refugees: Vermont (35 percent), Indiana (26 percent), Minnesota (22 percent), Florida (20 percent for TST test, 6 percent for blood test ), Arizona (18 percent), Utah (18 percent), Texas (15 percent), and California (12 percent).

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/06/13/ten-refugees-arrived-colorado-active-tb-since-2011/

Ten Refugees Sent To Colorado with Active Tuberculosis Since 2011
by MICHAEL PATRICK LEAHY

13 Jun 2016

* * *

[Posted June 9, 2016 8:54 PM ET]
[From article]

Two-thirds of contagious tuberculosis carriers in the United States during 2015 were born overseas, up from one-fifth in 1986.
The government’s increased inflow of tuberculosis-carrying migrants appears to have reversed a 23-year decline of contagious tuberculosis cases inside the United States.
[. . .]
American-born active TB cases have declined from an estimated 17,725 in 1986 to 3,201 in 2015. That is down 80 percent since 1986.
But federal immigration policy is pushing up the nation’s contagious TB cases. In 2015, for the first time in 23 years, the number of active TB cases in the United States increased rather than declined. It rose by 1.7 percent from the 9,421 cases diagnosed in 2014.
Over the same 29 year period, the foreign-born population as a percentage of the total U.S. population has increased from 7.5 percent in 1986 (18 million out of a total population of 240 million) to an estimated 13.7 percent in 2015. That is an increase from the 13.2 percent in 2014, the last year for which there is complete data (42.5 million out of a total population of 322 million).
[. . .]



The increase in foreign born cases of active TB is attributable to several factors. A small part of that is due to migrants arriving with active TB, and then transmitting it within their arrival communities.
The largest part of the increase, however, appears to be due to the dramatically higher rate of latent TB infection among foreign born residents (which can range from 20 percent to 43 percent, depending on country of origin) compared to the general population, which has a four percent LTBI infection rate, and the greater likelihood those living in refugee communities will see their latent TB activate.
[. . .]
Foreign-born residents of the United States have been identified as a high risk population by the CDC because a number of them arrive from crowded refugee camps, engage in high risk behavior such as smoking, and have cultural traditions not consistent with successful completion of treatment therapy.
Numerous medical studies have reported on the link between high latent TB infection rates and the risk of active TB in refugee resettlement communities and other centers of migrant population.
[. . .]
While it is true that the rate of active TB among foreign born residents in the United States has declined slightly since 1986, the sheer volume of new foreign born migrants with high latent TB infection rates and much higher active TB rates does not bode well for the future decline in the overall number of active TB cases in the US.
[. . .]



Public health policies, however, appear to be doing little to stop the trend of increases in the absolute number of foreign born TB cases in the US.
Despite the CDC’s urging to “increasing detection and treatment of preexisting latent TB infection among the U.S. populations most affected by TB,” resettlement agencies around the United States are not consistently testing and treating refugees for latent TB infections.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/06/09/tuberculosis-foreign-born-tb-tripled-us-percentage-total-three-decades/

U.S. Tuberculosis Cases Rise as Foreign-Born Patients Triple 1986 Caseload Percentage
by MICHAEL PATRICK LEAHY

9 Jun 2016

Yellow Fever Threat To Global Population

The Aedes aegypti mosquito thrives in tropical climates and can carry the Zika virus, yellow fever, dengue fever and chikungunya.
[From article]

Urgent action is needed to combat a yellow fever epidemic in Africa amid signs it is turning into a global health emergency and a severe shortage of the vaccine, academics have warned.
With nearly a billion people at risk from the deadly disease in Africa and Latin America and the danger of an outbreak in Asia, immunologist Professor Daniel Lucey and Lawrence Gostin, a professor in global health law, called on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare an emergency saying delays over Ebola had "cost lives".
And they also said that because of the surge in new infectious diseases in recent years – thought to be driven in part by climate change – the world should now set up a permanent committee to decide how to respond as new threats emerge.
Angola is in the grip of its worst yellow fever epidemic since 1986 with more than 250 deaths, and the disease is spreading rapidly – Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have all reported cases.
[. . .]
In an article called A Yellow Fever Epidemic: A New Global Health Emergency? in the journal JAMA, the academics, of Georgetown University in Washington DC, warned: “The looming threat of a severe yellow fever vaccine shortage exists amid epidemics in Africa and potentially in Latin America and Asia.”
[. . .]
Since the 17th century there have been sporadic outbreaks of the disease outside its normal range in southern Africa and South America, usually in sea ports.
This happened in Europe in 1730 and 1821, when the UK was affected, and there have also been outbreaks in the US, such as in New Orleans in 1905, Memphis, Tennessee, in 1878 and Philadelphia in 1793.
Yellow fever kills people in a particularly nasty way. It initially causes symptoms such as fever, a significant backache, shivering and vomiting for about three or four days.
But shortly after they seem to recover about 15 per cent of patients are hit by a much worse fever that gives them the jaundice from which the disease gets its name.
They can then start bleeding from the eyes, nose and stomach, with further vomiting and cramps. About half of those who get this more severe strain will die as a result. There is no treatment.
[. . .]
Since the 1980s, the medical community has reported a range of new disease threats, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus, bird flu and swine flu.
There are thought to be a number of reasons for this, including the growth of the human population coupled with the ease of international travel; the global trade in animals and plants; the loss of natural habitats which has forced animals to look for new places to find food; and climate change, which has enabled animals to move to different places.
[. . .]
The WHO, which said last month that yellow fever was a threat to the entire world, said that holding an emergency committee meeting on yellow fever was "under discussion".
"The Angola outbreak is of particular concern because of its urban nature and the possibility of international spread,"
[. . .]
On its website, WHO warns: "The risk of international spread is greater than before. In the past devastating outbreaks occurred mainly in sea ports. Today, most cities are connected to most of the world by more rapid means of transport, train or plane.
“So far, the virus circulation has remained within the borders of historically endemic countries, but the virus could spread quickly and cause epidemics in areas with a high density of vectors and a non-immune population.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/yellow-fever-global-emergency-outbreak-world-health-organization-who-angola-kenya-uganda-congo-peru-a7020371.html

Yellow fever: World on brink of global emergency over deadly outbreak, academics warn
Nearly a billion people in Africa and Latin America are at risk, Asia could be next and even Europe and the US have had outbreaks of the deadly disease in the past
Ian Johnston, Science Correspondent
Monday 9 May 2016

Tropical Disease Spreads Through Middle East

Children suffering from Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, a disfiguring and disabling skin disease (Getty Images )

[From article]
A disfiguring tropical disease is sweeping across the Middle East as a combination of heavy conflict and a breakdown of health care facilities in Isis-occupied areas leaves swathes of people vulnerable to the illness.
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by a parasite in the blood stream transmitted through sand fly bites. The disease can result in horrible open sores as well as disfiguring skin lesions, nodules or papules.
Leishmaniasis has been endemic in Syria for centuries and was once commonly known as the “Aleppo evil”. However, as Syria’s civil war continues the resulting refugee crisis has triggered a catastrophic outbreak of the disease.
Research published on Thursday in the scientific journal PLOS has found the disease is now affecting hundreds of thousands of people living in refugee camps or trapped in conflict zones. A similar situation may also be unfolding in eastern Libya and Yemen.
“We're seeing lots of diseases, including leishmaniasis in these conflict zones and we need to ring-fence them or risk another situation like Ebola out of the conflict zones in West Africa in 2014,” Peter Hotez, dean of the US National School of Tropical Medicine, US Science Envoy to the Middle East, and lead author of the PLOS research told the Digital Journal.
[. . .]



In Syria, the number of leishmaniasis cases reported to the Ministry of Health doubled from 23,000 before the start of the civil war in 2011 to 41,000 in 2013, according to the PLOS research.
Neighbouring countries, which have received millions of refugees are also reporting many leishmaniasis cases. In Lebanon, cases rose to 1,033 in 2013 from six in the previous 12 years. Hundreds of cases have also been reported in Turkey and Jordan.
[. . .]
Dr Waleed Al-Salem, of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, told MailOnline: “It's a very bad situation. The disease has spread dramatically in Syria, but also into countries like Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey and even into southern Europe with refugees coming in.
[. . .]
“When people are bitten by sand flies - which are tiny and smaller than a mosquito - it can take anything between two to six months to have the infection.
[. . .]
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is one of 17 tropical diseases categorized by WHO as “neglected”. The organisation says greater awareness of the disease, better monitoring, training for clinicians and vector control could go some way to halting the epidemic.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/cutaneous-leishmaniasis-disfiguring-tropical-disease-sweeps-across-middle-east-a7056741.html

Cutaneous leishmaniasis: Disfiguring tropical disease sweeps across Middle East
Cutaneous leishmaniasis, a disease transmitted through sand flies causes horrible open sores as well as disfiguring skin lesions
Alexandra Sims
May 30, 2016

Study Indicates DNA Damage From Marijuana Use

[From article]
Smoking cannabis can alter a person's DNA, causing mutations that expose a user to serious illnesses, experts have warned.
Furthermore, the heightened risk is not exclusive to the marijuana user, a study has shown.
The disease-causing mutations are passed on to their children, and several future generations, it has emerged.
Though the link between cannabis and severe illnesses, such as cancer, has previously been documented, how this occurs and the implications for future generations was not well understood.
'With cannabis use increasing globally in recent years, this has a concerning impact for the population.'
While a person may appear healthy and lead a normal life, the unseen damage to their DNA could also be passed on to their children, and cause illness for several generations to come.
'Even if a mother has never used cannabis in her life, the mutations passed on by a father's sperm can cause serious and fatal illnesses in their children,' Dr Reece said.
'The parents may not realise that they are carrying these mutations, which can lie dormant and may only affect generations down the track, which is the most alarming aspect.'
Dr Reece said that when the chemicals in cannabis altered a user's DNA structure it could lead to slow cell growth and have serious implications for the fetal development of babies, potentially causing limbs or vital organs not to develop properly or cause cancers.
He said: 'The worst cancers are reported in the first few years of life in children exposed in utero to cannabis effects.'
Dr Reece said the finding was of major importance due to the fact cannabis use is increasing in many nations around the world, as many countries begin to legalize its use.
'Some people may say that previous data collected doesn't show there are serious effects from using cannabis, but many authorities acknowledge that there is now a much larger consumption of cannabis use compared to previous years,' he added.
The study carries implications for researchers, medical health professionals and governments in regulating drug use and protecting those who are most vulnerable.
The research has been published in the journal Mutation Research – Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3607444/Smoking-cannabis-ALTERS-DNA-causing-mutations-trigger-illness-including-cancer.html

Smoking cannabis ALTERS your DNA 'causing mutations that can trigger serious illness, including cancer'
Smoking cannabis alters a person's DNA, causing mutations, experts say
These mutations can trigger serious illness, including cancer
Mutations passed to children and future generations, raising their risk too
By Lizzie Parry For Dailymail.com
Published: 15:07 EST, 24 May 2016 | Updated: 16:44 EST, 24 May 2016

Guinea Will Vaccinate Contacts With Ebola Survivor

A billboard with a message about Ebola is seen on a street in Conakry, Guinea in this October 26, 2014 
File photo. REUTERS/Michelle Nichols

[From article]
Guinea will soon vaccinate people who have come into contact with more than 500 men who have recovered from Ebola, a senior health official said, the first time it has vaccinated the contacts of survivors.
The decision reflects research that indicates Ebola can remain in the bodily fluids of survivors for months. The contacts will include but will not be limited to sexual partners, said Fode Tass Sylla, the spokesman for the West African nation's centre for the fight against Ebola.
"We know the virus can stay in the sperm of a healed patient for a certain period of time," Sylla said. "That's why we want to vaccinate the circles of 501 men, to avoid all risk of spreading the disease."
The vaccinations will begin in the next few days, Sylla said. The centre also plans an awareness campaign to warn mothers who have recovered from the virus against breastfeeding their newborns, he said.
One of three countries at the epicentre of the world's worst recorded Ebola outbreak, along with Liberia and Sierra Leone, Guinea was declared free of active transmissions of the virus in December 2015. But it announced eight new cases last month.
There are 10,000 survivors of the deadly hemorrhagic fever in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organisation.
The WHO said 800 possible contacts of people suffering from Ebola had been vaccinated against the virus in the so-called "ring vaccination" method. That means swiftly vaccinating anyone who has come into contact with an Ebola sufferer and contacts of theirs. More than 1,000 people were under observation.
Guinea will soon vaccinate people who have come into contact with more than 500 men who have recovered from Ebola, a senior health official said, the first time it has vaccinated the contacts of survivors.
The decision reflects research that indicates Ebola can remain in the bodily fluids of survivors for months. The contacts will include but will not be limited to sexual partners, said Fode Tass Sylla, the spokesman for the West African nation's centre for the fight against Ebola.
"We know the virus can stay in the sperm of a healed patient for a certain period of time," Sylla said. "That's why we want to vaccinate the circles of 501 men, to avoid all risk of spreading the disease."
The vaccinations will begin in the next few days, Sylla said. The centre also plans an awareness campaign to warn mothers who have recovered from the virus against breastfeeding their newborns, he said.
One of three countries at the epicentre of the world's worst recorded Ebola outbreak, along with Liberia and Sierra Leone, Guinea was declared free of active transmissions of the virus in December 2015. But it announced eight new cases last month.
There are 10,000 survivors of the deadly hemorrhagic fever in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organisation.
The WHO said 800 possible contacts of people suffering from Ebola had been vaccinated against the virus in the so-called "ring vaccination" method. That means swiftly vaccinating anyone who has come into contact with an Ebola sufferer and contacts of theirs. More than 1,000 people were under observation.
[. . .]
The World Health Organisation announced earlier this week that Ebola was no longer considered to be a public health emergency.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/ebola-flares-guinea-plans-vaccinate-contacts-survivors-124902115.html
As Ebola flares up, Guinea plans to vaccinate contacts of survivors
By Saliou Samb and James Harding Giahyue
(Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Larry King)Yahoo News
April 2, 2016

Dozens Ill In Wisconsin After Elizabethkingia Bacteria Outbreak

[From article]
Health officials are testing water, skin care products and over-the-counter medications, and interviewing patients and families, to try to identify the source of an outbreak of a bacteria that has sickened 44 people in southern Wisconsin and may have contributed to 18 deaths.
Lab tests suggest a common source of the bacteria, called Elizabethkingia. But the investigation, which started in January, has not revealed the source, health officials said.
Most of the patients are elderly, with serious underlying health conditions.
[. . .]
No cases linked to the Wisconsin outbreak have been reported in other states, McKeown and Braden said.
Nationwide, about 250 to 500 cases are known to occur each year, with a few localized outbreaks in recent years, said CDC spokesman Tom Skinner. The Wisconsin outbreak is the largest, he said.
Though 18 people have died, it’s not clear if their deaths were caused by the bacterial infection or their underlying health conditions, McKeown said. The conditions include cancer, diabetes, kidney disease and alcoholic cirrhosis.
[. . .]
Elizabethkingia bacteria rarely cause illness in humans, the state health department said. Symptoms can include fever, shortness of breath, chills or cellulitis, a skin infection.
[. . .]
The 44 patients are on different water systems, with some using wells, so the source doesn’t appear to be a water distribution system, Braden said.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/health-med-fit/officials-test-water-skin-care-products-in-mysterious-wisconsin-bacteria/article_11b35e98-d6fa-5294-8a2e-2f48bab58710.html

Officials test water, skin care products in mysterious Wisconsin bacteria outbreak
DAVID WAHLBERG dwahlberg (at) madison.com, 608-252-6125
March 3, 2016

"Super Lice" Found in 25 States

[From article]
A strain of so-called ‘super lice’ has hit a reported 25 states, causing concern and frustration among parents because the bugs can’t be killed with most over-the-counter treatments. The treatments, known as pyrethroids, had a 100 percent success rate in 2000 against lice but now only work in 25 percent of cases, KSDK.com reported.
A new FDA-approved treatment called AirAlle, which was developed by Lice Clinics of America, has been found to be effective against the super lice, with treatments costing about $170.
“We use heated air, and we dehydrate the lice and the eggs in a single treatment,” Claire Roberts, CEO of Lice Clinics America, told KSDK.com. “It takes about an hour, and we guarantee it.”
[. . .]
Parents should teach their children about the repercussions of sharing hats, hairbrushes and contact with another’s hair, KDSK.com reported.
For those parents whose children do come home with lice, experts caution not to panic and to stick to what they know. Old-fashioned nit-picking will help but may take longer than usual. Experts instruct parents to vacuum where hair has fallen, wash bedding in hot water, and throw stuff animals and clothing in a hot dryer for 20 to 30 minutes.

http://nypost.com/2016/02/26/super-lice-outbreak-hits-25-states/

‘Super lice’ outbreak hits 25 states
By Fox News
February 26, 2016 | 8:40pm

Contagious Dog Flu In Seattle, Washington

[From article]
A dangerous new strain of dog flu is spreading concern across the West. A dog in Montana recently tested positive for the highly contagious virus, and the Washington state health department is warning pet owners after possible exposure at a Seattle-area kennel.
In Chicago, the dog flu spread so quickly last year that some shelters were forced to close their doors to prevent further contamination, reports CBS News correspondent Adriana Diaz.
At Paws Chicago, they've treated around 300 sick dogs at their hospital and helped find them temporary homes while they recover. Vets understand the difficulty of containing this highly contagious virus.
[. . .]
King County public health officials say up to 90 dogs staying at a kennel outside of Seattle may have been exposed to the virus. Two have tested positive for flu, but further tests are needed to confirm it's the new strain.
"None of the dogs have immunity to fight it off, so you see large numbers of dogs getting ill when the virus starts to circulate," said Beth Lipton, vet for Public Health Seattle and King County. "When dogs are going to day care or dog parks or boarding overnight in kennel facilities, it can spread very rapidly."
[. . .]
Humans can't contract the virus, but they could spread it to healthy dogs after close contact with an infected dog.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dog-flu-spread-concern-in-west-washington-state-seattle/

CBS NEWS

January 14, 2016, 7:22 AM
Dangerous strain of dog flu spreads concern across U.S.

View More: Live News|More News Videos

Increased Cases Of Whooping Cough In NYC Jewish Neighborhoods

[From article]
A wave of whooping cough has hit the Orthodox Jewish Brooklyn neighborhoods of Crown Heights, Williamsburg and Borough Park, city health officials said Monday.
A total of 109 cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, were reported over the past year in the three neighborhoods, with an increase in cases over the past four months, the Health Department said.
Five infants were hospitalized and one came down with pneumonia.
[. . .]
Toddlers and infants make up the majority of cases. About half were not vaccinated at all or didn’t get the full set of shots, authorities said in an alert to medical providers.
Only 3 percent of the 37 mothers of infants with whooping cough received the recommended tetanus-diptheria-acellularr pertussis vaccination during pregnancy, the alert said.
[. . .]
Children receiving treatment must stay home and not attend school or day care until they have received at least five days of antibiotics.
http://nypost.com/2015/10/19/whooping-cough-cases-spike-in-orthodox-jewish-neighborhoods/

Whooping cough cases spike in Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods
By Carl Campanile
New York Post
October 19, 2015 | 3:01pm

Measles Killed 400 In Democratic Republic of The Congo

[From article]
More than 23,000 people, mostly children, have been infected with measles in the Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. More than 400 have died, according to United Nations agencies and Doctors Without Borders.
In one village of 500, more than 30 children under age 5 died within two months — a third of all the children in that age group. “Their little graves are still visible in the cemetery,” said Augustin Ngoyi, the response coordinator for Doctors Without Borders.



The epidemic started in February, but as of early this month, the central government in Kinshasa had not acknowledged that it was underway and deaths were not being officially counted, he said.
Doctors Without Borders has vaccinated more than 300,000 children, but it has been difficult. The vaccine must be kept cold, and two shots, weeks apart, are needed for full protection.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/15/health/measles-outbreak-in-democratic-republic-of-congo-kills-400.html?src=twr

Measles Outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo Kills 400
SEPT. 14, 2015
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.

Ebola Appears Again In Sierra Leone

[From article]
Hassan Abdul Sesay, a member of parliament from the region, said that the victim had contracted Ebola in the capital, Freetown, and then traveled to his home village to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
[. . .]
The new case shows, however, how just one sick person can change that. The man was treated for fever at a local hospital but authorities did not call the Ebola emergency number.
Ebola's main symptom is fever, which is also found in more common illnesses such as malaria and typhoid.
Now the 30 nurses who treated him and his entire home village are being quarantined. Authorities are also concerned because the man's father is a taxi driver who brought his son to at least two hospitals.
His family and friends buried him without following the special procedures required for Ebola victims to avoid spreading the disease after death.
[. . .]
Ebola has killed more than 11,000 people worldwide with nearly all deaths in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_SIERRA_LEONE_EBOLA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-07-30-12-59-46

Jul 30, 1:33 PM EDT
SIERRA LEONE FACES EBOLA SETBACK; 500 UNDER QUARANTINE
BY CLARENCE ROY-MACAULAY
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Legionnaire's Disease Outbreak in Bronx, NY

[From article]
Nearly four dozen people have gotten sick amid what the Health Department has described as an "unusual" spike in Legionnaires' disease in the Bronx, officials said Thursday, adding 15 cases to the total authorities gave a day earlier in announcing the deadly outbreak.



Forty-six cases of the disease, a severe, often lethal, form of pneumonia spread through the air, have been reported in the south Bronx since July 10, city officials said Thursday. Two of the 46 patients, a man and a woman in their 50s, have died from the illness; authorities say they had other lung problems as well as Legionnaires'. Their identities have not been released.
Legionnaires' disease is caused by exposure to the bacteria Legionella; in most cases, people are exposed to the bacteria by inhaling contaminated aerosols from cooling towers, hot tubs, showers and faucets or drinking water.



Since the cases are widely dispersed — as in they're not clustered in one or two buildings —authorities do not believe the outbreak is connected to any contaminated drinking water, Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said at a news briefing Thursday.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Legionnaires-Disease-Outbreak-New-York-City-Health-Officials-Pneumonia-320164021.html

Number of Legionnaires' Cases Rises Amid Deadly Outbreak in NYC: Officials
Updated at 10:41 AM EDT on Friday, Jul 31, 2015

Poverty Is An Illness, No Appeals From Diagnoses

Is that why there are so many wealthy psychiatrists?

If you are poor you are sick. 

[From article]
The study found that children in households with an annual income below $24,000 for a family of four had 7 to 10 percent less gray matter volume than what is considered standard for healthy development.
Pollak says these differences in gray matter can be linked to varying amounts and quality of stimulation.
Poor children “are getting too little of things we need to develop the brain and too much of things that inhibit brain growth,” he said. These children may not be getting adequate stimulation from parents or access to learning tools like books or games. Pollak notes poor nutrition may be another factor.
The new findings have experts rethinking how poverty is portrayed. Pollak says it’s not only a social condition, it’s a medical problem too

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2015/07/28/study-poverty-is-a-medical-condition/

Study: Poverty Is A Medical Condition
July 28, 2015 2:17 PM

CBS News Washington DC 

Public Official Recognizes Misguided Immigration Policies Endangering US Citizens

[From article]
Following the influx of illegal immigrant minors from Central America, an official at the federal agency charged with protecting public health describes Barack Obama as “the worst pres we have ever had,” an “amateur” and “Marxist,” according to internal emails obtained by Judicial Watch.
JW got the records as part of an investigation into the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) activation of anEmergency Operations Center (EOC) to deal with the barrage of illegal alien minors last summer. Tens of thousands of Central Americans came into the United States through the Mexican border and contagious diseases—many considered to be eradicated in the U.S.—became a tremendous concern. The CDC, which operates under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), responded by opening an emergency facility designed to monitor and coordinate response activities to eminent public health threats.
[. . .]

Last year JW also reported that the illegal immigrant minors have brought in serious diseases, including swine flu, dengue fever, possibly Ebola virus and tuberculosis.
The CDC records obtained by JW this week include email exchanges between agency officials directly involved in the activation of the EOC to handle the health threats created by the influx of illegal alien minors last summer. In an email dated June 9, 2014, CDC Logistics Management Specialist George Roark wrote to CDC Public Health Advisor William Adams that “no country in the world would allow” the influx. Adams replies that “in ten years or less, they’ll all be voting…Commander’s intent…” Roark fires back by describing Obama as “the worst pres we have ever had…he truly is ‘the amateur’ but a Marxist too.”
[. . .]
In an unrelated email dated June 18, 2014, CDC Intelligence Analyst Daniel Bubacz describes the situation as a, “Leave No Child on the other Side of the Border Policy.” This refers to a disastrous federal education law known as No Child Left Behind aimed at improving the long suffering academic performance of minorities in the nation’s public schools. More than a decade and tens of billions of dollars later, the measure failed to significantly increase the academic performance of the targeted demographic and is best known as a massive fleecing of taxpayer dollars.

http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2015/07/cdc-official-calls-obama-worst-president-amateur-marxist-after-influx-of-illegal-alien-minors/

CDC Official Calls Obama Worst President, Amateur, Marxist After Influx of Illegal Alien Minors
Judicial Watch
JULY 02, 2015

Deadly Bacteria Released At Tulane University Lab

[From article]
A dangerous, often deadly, type of bacteria that lives in soil and water has been released from a high-security laboratory at the Tulane National Primate Research Center in Louisiana. Officials say there is no risk to the public. Yet despite weeks of investigation by multiple federal and state agencies, the cause of the release and the extent of the contamination remain unknown, according to interviews and records obtained by USA TODAY.
The incident has raised concerns that bacteria from the lab may have contaminated the facility's grounds and though initial, limited tests didn't detect it, some officials are pressing behind the scenes for more action, records show. The safety breach at Tulane's massive lab complex 35 miles north of New Orleans is the latest in a recent series of significant biosafety accidents at some of the most prestigious laboratories in the country where research is performed on bacteria and viruses that are classified as potential bioterror agents.
[. . .]
"Human error is always the first explanation you should consider for a laboratory accident," Ebright said. "The easiest way to transfer something from one place where it's supposed to be, to another where it isn't supposed to be is by a worker moving from one place to the other."
Sloppy biosafety practices can result in pathogens being tracked out of labs on shoes, coats, gloves, hands or other materials that weren't properly sterilized before being removed, he said.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/03/01/tulane-primate-bio-lab-bacteria-release/24137053/

Deadly bacteria release sparks concern at Louisiana lab
Alison Young

USA TODAY 

6:13 p.m. EST March 1, 2015

Updated: Minnesota Joins Wisconsin Declaring Avian Flu Emergency

Posted April 24, 2015 5:09 PM ET; Last Updated May 28, 2015 8:31 PM ET



[From article]

US farmers have been forced to kill almost 40 million chickens and other birds, causing egg prices to soar as a deadly version of the avian flu attacks the poultry industry.
An outbreak of a particularly infectious version of the bird flu, believed to come initially from wild ducks and geese, has spread into 15 US states and two Canadian provinces, requiring the mass slaughter of egg-laying chickens and turkeys in particular.
That has turned into an 80 percent surge in the wholesale price of eggs, and a more modest hike in turkey meat costs, which could last for the rest of the year even if the flu outbreak can be successfully contained, according to industry officials.
The midwest state of Iowa, the largest US egg producer, has seen some 25 million birds, mostly chickens for egg production, killed.

http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-us-egg-prices-soar-as-avian-flu-batters-poultry-industry-2015-5

ScienceMore: AFP Bird Flu Farming Agriculture
US farmers have been forced to kill nearly 40 million birds because of avian flu

PAUL HANDLEY, AFP
MAY 22, 2015, 9:03 PM

* * *

[From article]
Minnesota declared a state of emergency on Thursday over a fast-spreading strain of avian flu that has led to the extermination of more than 7.3 million birds in the country. It followed Wisconsin's action on Monday.
The highly pathogenic H5N2 strain of bird flu has been identified on 46 Minnesota farms in 16 counties and affected more than 2.6 million birds in the state.
State health officials said they were expediting prescriptions for the antiviral drug Tamiflu for farm workers and others who have been in direct contact with infected flocks. No human infections have been reported in this outbreak.
"There's no reason for anybody in the state of Minnesota to be concerned about their own health," Governor Mark Dayton said at a press conference on Thursday after declaring the state of emergency.
Federal and local public health authorities have said the risk of human infection is low.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/23/us-health-birdflu-minnesota-idUSKBN0NE2JP20150423

Thu Apr 23, 2015 7:42pm EDT
Minnesota declares state of emergency over bird flu in poultry
BY P.J. HUFFSTUTTER

Updated: Bird Flu Appears in Iowa

Posted May 1, 2015 10:35 PM ET; Last updated May 28, 2015 8:30 PM ET



[From article]

US farmers have been forced to kill almost 40 million chickens and other birds, causing egg prices to soar as a deadly version of the avian flu attacks the poultry industry.
An outbreak of a particularly infectious version of the bird flu, believed to come initially from wild ducks and geese, has spread into 15 US states and two Canadian provinces, requiring the mass slaughter of egg-laying chickens and turkeys in particular.
That has turned into an 80 percent surge in the wholesale price of eggs, and a more modest hike in turkey meat costs, which could last for the rest of the year even if the flu outbreak can be successfully contained, according to industry officials.
The midwest state of Iowa, the largest US egg producer, has seen some 25 million birds, mostly chickens for egg production, killed.

http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-us-egg-prices-soar-as-avian-flu-batters-poultry-industry-2015-5

ScienceMore: AFP Bird Flu Farming Agriculture
US farmers have been forced to kill nearly 40 million birds because of avian flu

PAUL HANDLEY, AFP
MAY 22, 2015, 9:03 PM

* * *

[From article]
Bird flu has been identified at five new sites in Iowa, including a commercial egg-laying operation in Buena Vista County that houses an estimated 5.5 million birds, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said on Thursday.
If highly pathogenic avian influenza is confirmed at the egg-laying site by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the total number of U.S. cases would surpass 20 million birds, the most in U.S. history

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/iowa-reports-more-probable-bird-flu-cases-205502231.html

Iowa reports more 'probable' bird flu cases
Reuters
April 30, 2015
Reporting by Julie Ingwersen

NJ Public Health Officials Verify Traveler Died From Lassa Fever

[From article]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed late Monday that the man had died from a disease called Lassa fever, which is extremely rare in the United States but more common in parts of West Africa where he had traveled.
While the CDC said the man posed an “extremely low” risk to others, the agency is taking all precautions after taking flak for its handling of a man who was diagnosed with, and later died from, Ebola in Dallas last fall.
The man in New Jersey, who was not identified by the CDC, admitted himself to a hospital on May 18 with a sore throat, fever and fatigue. When asked about his travel history, he did not indicate travel to West Africa and was sent home the same day. But three days later, he returned with worse symptoms and died shortly thereafter.
While Lassa fever is typically less deadly than Ebola, CDC is working with New Jersey health officials to find any potential contacts. Anyone who is considered at risk will be monitored for 21 days — just as with Ebola.
The CDC will be seeking out health workers, family members and people who shared his plane from Liberia to Morocco to JFK International Airport on May 17.
The New Jersey hospital’s failure to immediately diagnose the disease — and to ultimately let the man leave the hospital — mirrors the experience of a man in a Dallas hospital who became the first person to die from Ebola in the United States.

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/243075-lassa-fever-death-in-new-jersey-evokes-ebola-fears

Lassa fever death evokes Ebola fears
By Sarah Ferris

05/26/15 10:25 AM EDT

Los Angeles Hospitals Don't Reveal Staff Caused Infections Passed To Patients Due To Negligence

Carole and Ty Moss hold a photo of their son, Nile, who died at age 15 after he went to an Orange County hospital for an MRI and got infected with a superbug. A law giving the public access to limited data on infected patients was named after him. 
(Photo: Allen J. Schaben, Los Angeles Times)


[From article]
The cardiac surgeon had unknowingly spread a staph infection from the rash on his hand to the hearts of at least five patients by the time Los Angeles County health investigators learned of the outbreak.
The doctor had operated on more than 60 others in recent months, and county officials feared those patients could be struck with the same dangerous infection.
Investigators didn't ultimately tie any deaths to the 2012 outbreak, but four patients needed additional surgery because of the infection.
The only public mention of the case came a year later in a little-noticed appendix to the health department's 350-page annual report. It referred only to "Hospital A." Even now, the name of the hospital remains secret.
[. . .]
L.A. County health officials investigate and confirm an infection outbreak inside one of the county's hospitals once or twice a month. The public rarely finds out which hospital is involved, how many patients were stricken or whether any died.
The secrecy surrounding hospital outbreaks runs counter to the push toward more public disclosure in healthcare. In recent years, consumers have benefited from data comparing some health outcomes by hospital, the fees hospitals charge for various procedures and the payments doctors receive from drug and device manufacturers.
Keeping outbreaks confidential is a common practice of federal, state and local health investigators across the country. The rationale: It encourages hospitals to be open and quickly report suspected surges of infections.
http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83328732/

A veil of secrecy shields hospitals where outbreaks occur
BY MELODY PETERSEN
April 18, 2015, 1:00 p.m.