The increase in illegal immigration is a hot topic lately. The debate over amnesty fails to consider the danger of allowing millions of people into the country without medical screening. The rise in illegal immigration and the incidence of communicable diseases such as drug-resistant tuberculosis, malaria, leprosy, plague, polio, dengue, and Chagas disease can't be ignored.
Tuberculosis and illegal immigrants
Dallas County had a decrease in tuberculosis in 2009 due to an aggressive outreach program and a 1.9 million dollar budget. However, according to the Dallasnews.com, the incidence of TB cases in Dallas County, and Texas overall, was much higher than the national average, which was 4.2 cases per 100,000 people in 2008. Experts say there's a reason for the higher incidence: Dallas County and Texas have a large immigrant and refugee population, coming from countries where the disease is endemic.These figures do not consider undiagnosed or new immigrants.
Multidrug resistance tuberculosis
According to the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, tuberculosis's return is fatal for about 60 percent of those contracting it because of new multidrug resistant tuberculosis. Until recently MDR-TB was specific to Mexico. This MDR-TB is resistant to major antitubercular drugs. TB usually is cured with six months of treatment and four drugs, costing about $2,000. MDR-TB takes two years and many expensive drugs that cost around $250, 000, with undesirable side effects. Each illegal immigrant with MDR-TB coughs and infects up to 30 people, who will show no symptoms immediately. The latent disease explodes later.
http://mog.com/RGM/blog/2573254
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