An ancient killer returns to California

 Andrea Widburg - American Thinker  

"And of course, when it comes to diseases in homeless populations, it’s not complicated: They’re mentally ill, drug addicted, and living in crowded, filthy conditions. It’s a perfect petri dish."

"Tuberculosis is one of humankind’s oldest continuously existing diseases. Confirmed cases have been found in mummies dating as far back as 3,000 B.C., although evidence suggests that the TB gene goes back tens of thousands of years.

"Age has not lessened its virulence, for it was one of the great killers in 18th- and 19th-century Europe and America. In the early 1800s, it is estimated to have caused 25% of urban deaths in the U.S., and was probably the leading overall single cause of death in America before antibiotics. And now it’s back.

"Perhaps not coincidentally, it’s back in California:

"California health officials are scrambling after tuberculosis exposures were confirmed at multiple schools as cases of the world’s deadliest infectious disease continue climbing across the state.

Fresno County officials confirmed a cluster at Justin Garza High School, where one active infection was found, though authorities did not specify whether the case involved a student or staff, according to ABC30.

Officials emphasized no one on campus is currently contagious, but 22 out of 169 people exposed have tested positive for the infection, though they show no symptoms yet.

[snip]

Meanwhile, San Diego County officials announced Wednesday a potential TB exposure was also reported at Sunset Elementary School in San Ysidro." .

. . . "Putting together these two things—homelessness and illegal aliens—has interesting results. Fresno is estimated to have around 4,500 homeless people and around 75,000-85,000 illegal aliens. Meanwhile, San Diego County has almost 10,000 homeless people and 160,000-170,000 illegal aliens. Both have huge concentrations of disease vectors.

It can’t be a coincidence that both areas are seeing TB. And no, I don’t have any data. This is all going on gut feelings, but I’m pretty sure I’m correct."

 

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