Contagious diseases are entering the United States because of immigrants, illegal aliens, refugees and travelers, and World Health Organization officials say the worst could be yet to come.
In addition to a list of imported diseases that includes tuberculosis, sickle cell anemia, hepatitis B, measles and the potentially deadly parasitic disease Chagas, officials fear what could happen if the avian flu, which is flourishing among poultry in Southeast Asia, mutates so that it is capable of human-to-human transmission through casual contact.
excerpt: http://washtimes.com/specialreport/20050212-112200-6485r.htm
Thanks for the link. This was exactly my hypothesis but I wondered if anyone else had some ideas or theories. Some friends and I were talking about this the other day. Years ago you just NEVER had outbreaks like this but you also had food workers covering their hair, etc. My mom told me she was a waitress for a while in the 1950's and they'd inspect your shoes and EVERYTHING. You had to be immaculate.
"In addition to a list of imported diseases that includes tuberculosis, sickle cell anemia, hepatitis B, measles and the potentially deadly parasitic disease Chagas, officials fear what could happen if the avian flu, which is flourishing among poultry in Southeast Asia, mutates so that it is capable of human-to-human transmission through casual contact."
While I share your concern about the spread of infectious diseases not generally seen in the United States by illegal aliens, this virus is not to be blamed on that trend. The name "Norovirus" is actually a shortened version of Norwalk virus, which was interestingly named after the county in the United States in which the first outbreak of this disease was documented.
Also, and I realize that the quote above is from the article you cited, and not an original thought of your own, sickle cell anemia is not an infectious disease. It's a genetic disease found in individuals with African heritage. The author of the article should have done a little more research.
Now, that all aside...I wound up in the Emergency Department of my hospital with this strain of Norwalk virus earlier this week. It was undeniably the most awful GI illness I have ever had the displeasure of experiencing.
This should satisfy my posting quota for the next year or so. Back to lurking...