The findings indicate that although the 2005 TB rate was the lowest recorded since national reporting began in 1953, the decline has slowed from an average of 7.1% per year (1993--2000) to an average of 3.8% per year (2001--2005). In 2005, the TB rate in foreign-born persons in the United States was 8.7 times that of U.S.-born persons.* In addition, Hispanics,† blacks, and Asians had TB rates 7.3, 8.3, and 19.6 times higher than whites, respectively. Moreover, the number of multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB§ cases in the United States increased 13.3%, with 128 cases (up from 113 in 2003) of MDR TB in 2004, the most recent year for which complete drug-susceptibility data are available.
More than half (56.0%) of the foreign-born cases in 2005 were reported in persons from Mexico (1,930), the Philippines (826), Vietnam (576), India (563), and China (389).
For 2005, and for the second consecutive year, more TB cases were reported among Hispanics than any other racial/ethnic population. Among persons of a racial/ethnic minority whose country of birth was known, 3,034 (95.9%) of 3,164 Asians, 3,021 (75.4%) of 4,005 Hispanics, and 1,049 (26.7%) of 3,927 blacks with TB were foreign-born.
If immigration patterns continue, foreign-born persons will likely account for an increasing percentage of TB cases in the United States.
To address the high rate of TB among foreign-born persons in the United States and the increasing proportion of cases they represent, CDC is collaborating with other national and international public health organizations to 1) survey foreign-born TB patients in the United States to determine opportunities for improving prevention and control interventions, 2) test recent arrivals from high-incidence countries for latent TB infection and treat them to completion, 3) optimize coordination of TB-control activities between the United States and Mexico to ensure completion of treatment among TB patients who travel back and forth across the U.S.-Mexican border, 4) strengthen the current notification system that alerts local health departments about the arrival of immigrants or refugees who have suspected TB, 5) enhance TB diagnostic, laboratory, and treatment capacities in host countries and sites where migrant populations are screened, and 6) improve overseas screening of immigrants and refugees by systematically monitoring, evaluating, and updating screening regulations, guidelines, and operations. CDC also continues to collaborate with international partners, including the Stop TB Partnership (http://www.stoptb.org), to strengthen TB control in countries with high TB incidence.
And no, I'm certainly not making any connection with TB and immigration, legal or otherwise.
Illegal invaders are bringing one of the world's most dangerous biological weapons of mass destruction with them.
"One third of the world's population is infected."
Wild claims like this are sure to decrease the credibility of an article which otherwise sounds very legitimate alarms and concerns.
Yes and the public health department seems to have forgotten one of the greatest weapons they have with diseases. QUARANTINE