Health

  • Home
  • Business
    • Internet
    • Market
    • Stock
  • Parent Category
    • Child Category 1
      • Sub Child Category 1
      • Sub Child Category 2
      • Sub Child Category 3
    • Child Category 2
    • Child Category 3
    • Child Category 4
  • Featured
  • Health
    • Childcare
    • Doctors
  • Home
  • Business
    • Internet
    • Market
    • Stock
  • Downloads
    • Dvd
    • Games
    • Software
      • Office
  • Parent Category
    • Child Category 1
      • Sub Child Category 1
      • Sub Child Category 2
      • Sub Child Category 3
    • Child Category 2
    • Child Category 3
    • Child Category 4
  • Featured
  • Health
    • Childcare
    • Doctors
  • Uncategorized

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Tuberculosis at the border: Doctors issue warnings of ‘drug-resistant strains’

 July 25, 2023     Health, Health News Today on Fox News     No comments   

Cases of tuberculosis (TB) — an illness that kills more people than any other infectious disease — rose in the U.S. during 2022, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And some doctors are concerned that limitations of testing at the border could be partly to blame for the surge.

In 2021, the disease infected nearly 11 million people and caused 1.6 million deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease caused by a bacterial infection. It primarily affects the lungs, but can also affect the brain, kidneys and spine. 

The CDC states that all refugees ages two and older must be tested for tuberculosis before entering the U.S.

TEXAS CITY REPORTS SYPHILIS OUTBREAK AMID 'LIMITED SUPPLY' OF PENICILLIN DRUG

"By law, refugees diagnosed with an inadmissible condition are not permitted to depart for the United States until the condition has been treated," the agency states on its website. 

The CDC uses its Electronic Disease Notification (EDN) system to notify federal, state and local health departments of any immigrants and refugees who are found to have medical conditions that require follow-up.

There are limitations to that process, however.

"By design, the EDN system only collects information for the approximately 10% of immigrants who have an overseas medical classification," explained Neha Sood, health communication specialist for the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, in a statement to Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor. 

"Thus, DHS [Department of Homeland Security] data were used to approximate the immigrant denominators."

There is also some degree of human error that comes into play, Sood added.

"Because data transfer for immigrants during the study period primarily relied on staff at ports of entry to correctly review, retain and route paper forms for each immigrant with a medical classification, human error likely caused some losses, resulting in possible underestimates of immigrants with medical classifications," she said.

DENGUE FEVER CASES COULD REACH NEAR-RECORD HIGHS THIS YEAR: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE TROPICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASE

While health departments are "encouraged and provided incentives" to share the results of immigrants’ testing with the CDC, Sood said there is always the chance of "underreporting."

She added, "The proportion of immigrants, refugees and eligible others who completed a post-arrival examination might be higher than indicated in this report."

Although the CDC has "comprehensive surveillance systems" to track communicable diseases within the U.S., the agency does not track diseases by immigration status, Sood explained.

Linda Yancey, M.D., a specialist in infectious disease who is affiliated with Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas, said she regularly sees people who have screened positive for the disease and need treatment to prevent developing symptomatic illness.

"Tuberculosis is quite common in Texas, especially in the big cities," she told Fox News Digital. "Houston is an international port of entry, so we get people from TB-endemic areas coming here frequently."

Most of the imported tuberculosis cases seen at Memorial Hermann are among people coming from Africa and the Indian subcontinent, Yancey said. 

"This is why immigrants coming into the U.S. are screened at the time of entry," she said.

"People can be exposed to TB years before they become contagious," she went on. "By doing early screening, we are able to treat people long before they develop severe pneumonia."

WHY ANTIBIOTICS MAY NOT HELP PATIENTS SURVIVE THEIR VIRAL INFECTIONS: NEW RESEARCH

Immigrants who have positive screenings are given three to four months of pills to protect their TB from developing into an illness, Yancey said.

In a 2022 study by the University of Texas, researchers analyzed patterns in tuberculosis patients who had been diagnosed when crossing into the U.S. from the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, which serves as a "migration waypoint."

The study, which was published in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, found that an average of 30% of immigrants screened positive for tuberculosis over an eight-year period.

Immigrants with tuberculosis may be less likely to get successful treatment due to various factors, the study authors also wrote in a discussion of their findings.

The barriers to treatment that were cited included mobile living conditions, economic constraints, fear of deportation and the policy of the host country to provide free TB therapies.

Another concern is the type of TB that potentially could be coming into the U.S.

James Hodges, M.D., an internist in Waco, Texas, is concerned that immigrants are bringing in a drug-resistant strain of the disease.

"I have found that immigrants who are positive for TB are more likely to have a drug-resistant type," he told Siegel.

"This is likely due to the over-the-counter meds and antibiotics that are available in Mexico and other central and South American countries — these patients have incompletely treated coughs on their own," Hodges continued. 

"This is becoming more common with the last two years of an open border."

Tuberculosis treatments need to be "specialized, complex regimens," Dr. Siegel explained. "Here in the U.S., we use INH, Rifampin, PZA, Ethambutol and others. If you use an over-the-counter antibiotic that only partially treats TB, resistance is more likely to emerge."

Exposure to tuberculosis is very common, but only about 20% to 30% of people who are exposed to it become infected, according to Mount Sinai.

Most new infections occur when bacteria enter the air after the infected person coughs or sneezes, and is then breathed in by someone else.

LISTERIA OUTBREAK KILLS THREE ADULTS IN WASHINGTON STATE, HEALTH DEPARTMENT CONFIRMS

A majority of people who get the infection will have no symptoms and are not contagious, which is known as "latent tuberculosis."

Those who have "active infections" develop the disease, experience symptoms and can potentially spread it to others.

During the first stage of TB, most people don’t experience any symptoms, though some may have a mild fever, cough and/or fatigue.

Patients who develop an active infection — either immediately after the primary infection or after months or years of a latent infection — may experience coughing (sometimes with blood or mucus), chest pain, pain when breathing or coughing, fever, chills, weight loss, night sweats, loss of appetite and/or fatigue, according to the Mayo Clinic’s website.

Some people may develop extrapulmonary tuberculosis, which is when the infection spreads from the lungs to affect other parts of the body. 

There is currently no vaccine for TB available in the U.S. 

Diagnosis can be made via a skin test or a blood test.

For those who have positive screenings, additional tests — including chest X-rays, CT scans and lab analysis of lung fluid — can determine the extent of the infection and the impact on the lungs, according to the Cleveland Clinic website.

There are multiple treatments available for both latent and active tuberculosis, Yancey said.

"For latent disease, we treat with drugs like rifampin, rifapentine and isoniazid," she said. "People only need to take the pills for three to four months."

For active disease, additional pill options include pyrazinamide, ethambutol, moxifloxicin and linezolid, Yancey said. 

There is also an injectable option called amikacin.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

"Because we have so many different options to treat TB, drug shortages are very seldom an issue," Yancey said. "If one drug is in short supply, we have multiple effective alternative regimens."

Medications are typically taken for a period of at least six to nine months. 

If left untreated, the disease can be fatal.

"If you have tuberculosis and you’re treated, your outlook is good if you’ve followed directions and taken your medications for as long as you should and in the way you were told," the Cleveland Clinic’s website indicates.

People who experience chest pain, severe headache, seizures, confusion, difficulty breathing, bloody mucus or blood in the urine or stool should seek emergency medical care right away, per the Mayo Clinic.



from Health News Today on Fox News https://ift.tt/MUwvjHy
  • Share This:  
  •  Facebook
  •  Twitter
  •  Google+
  •  Stumble
  •  Digg
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to Facebook

Related Posts:

  • Flu shot recommendations from the CDC: 'Vaccination should continue throughout the season'The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that everyone over the age of six months who does not have a "severe, life-threat… Read More
  • Tips to ease knee pain, experts' flu season ideas — and which arm should you choose for the COVID vax?ANOTHER TRIPLEDEMIC? – Doctors offer predictions for the 2023-2024 flu season. Continue reading… DRUGS IN DISGUISE – The FDA cracks down on … Read More
  • Indiana hospital notifies around 500 patients they may have been exposed to tuberculosisA hospital in Indiana where a staff member recently tested positive for tuberculosis has notified around 500 patients that they may have been exposed … Read More
  • AI chatbot aims to provide support for women with postpartum depression: 'A tool, not a replacement'About one in every eight women experiences symptoms of postpartum depression, also known as perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), per CDC data… Read More
  • One in five women report being mistreated while in maternity care, CDC finds: ‘We must do better’As many as one in five women have experienced some degree of mistreatment while in maternity care, according to a new report from the Centers for Dise… Read More
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

  • Helping Stroke Patients Regain Movement in their Hands
    By BY PAM BELLUCK from NYT Health https://ift.tt/6uNPHMD
  • Ozempic ‘microdosing’ is the new weight-loss trend: Should you try it?
    A new trend gaining popularity among people trying to lose weight is microdosing the diabetes medication Ozempic. With approximately 70% of...
  • As eating disorders increase among college students, here's how parents can help: ‘Early intervention is key’
    While most of us have heard about the "Freshman 15" — the stereotypical first-year weight gain among college students — a growing ...

Recent Posts

Categories

  • Health News Today on Fox News
  • FOX NEWS
  • Fox News : Health
  • Health
  • Health News Today on Fox News
  • Healthy tips
  • NYT

Unordered List

Pages

  • Home

Text Widget

Blog Archive

  • July 2025 (15)
  • June 2025 (75)
  • May 2025 (88)
  • April 2025 (84)
  • March 2025 (88)
  • February 2025 (70)
  • January 2025 (72)
  • December 2024 (81)
  • November 2024 (70)
  • October 2024 (82)
  • September 2024 (75)
  • August 2024 (82)
  • July 2024 (79)
  • June 2024 (74)
  • May 2024 (73)
  • April 2024 (78)
  • March 2024 (75)
  • February 2024 (78)
  • January 2024 (78)
  • December 2023 (60)
  • November 2023 (80)
  • October 2023 (74)
  • September 2023 (75)
  • August 2023 (85)
  • July 2023 (67)
  • June 2023 (58)
  • May 2023 (100)
  • April 2023 (105)
  • March 2023 (118)
  • February 2023 (84)
  • January 2023 (87)
  • December 2022 (69)
  • November 2022 (64)
  • October 2022 (78)
  • September 2022 (74)
  • August 2022 (110)
  • July 2022 (109)
  • June 2022 (127)
  • May 2022 (95)
  • April 2022 (109)
  • March 2022 (140)
  • February 2022 (138)
  • January 2022 (170)
  • December 2021 (182)
  • November 2021 (213)
  • October 2021 (506)
  • September 2021 (539)
  • August 2021 (564)
  • July 2021 (590)
  • June 2021 (556)
  • May 2021 (544)
  • April 2021 (310)
  • March 2021 (331)
  • February 2021 (301)
  • January 2021 (326)
  • December 2020 (521)
  • November 2020 (403)
  • October 2020 (537)
  • September 2020 (554)
  • August 2020 (431)
  • July 2020 (647)
  • June 2020 (610)
  • May 2020 (659)
  • April 2020 (681)
  • March 2020 (729)
  • February 2020 (564)
  • January 2020 (483)
  • December 2019 (396)
  • November 2019 (416)
  • October 2019 (526)
  • September 2019 (486)
  • August 2019 (441)
  • July 2019 (394)
  • June 2019 (381)
  • May 2019 (510)
  • April 2019 (471)
  • March 2019 (560)
  • February 2019 (403)
  • January 2019 (530)
  • December 2018 (382)
  • November 2018 (378)
  • October 2018 (510)
  • September 2018 (297)
Powered by Blogger.

Report Abuse

Formulir Kontak



Search This Blog

Find Us On Facebook

Labels

  • Health News Today on Fox News
  • FOX NEWS
  • Fox News : Health
  • Health
  • Health News Today on Fox News
  • Healthy tips
  • NYT

Flickr Images

Most Popular

  • Helping Stroke Patients Regain Movement in their Hands
    By BY PAM BELLUCK from NYT Health https://ift.tt/6uNPHMD
  • Ozempic ‘microdosing’ is the new weight-loss trend: Should you try it?
    A new trend gaining popularity among people trying to lose weight is microdosing the diabetes medication Ozempic. With approximately 70% of...
  • As eating disorders increase among college students, here's how parents can help: ‘Early intervention is key’
    While most of us have heard about the "Freshman 15" — the stereotypical first-year weight gain among college students — a growing ...
  • Pioneer of America's global HIV/AIDS program recalls hope after years of despair
    Through his office window at what was then one of Africa's few modern clinics dealing with HIV and AIDS , the man who now oversees the U...
  • Free COVID tests will again be available from US government starting next week
    The U.S. government is reactivating the program that mails free COVID-19 tests to Americans' homes upon request. Effective Sept. 25, h...
  • New COVID vaccine push is ‘anti-human,’ says Florida surgeon general: ‘Major safety concern’
    The new COVID-19 vaccine is now available at participating pharmacies and health care providers, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) ...
  • AI tech aims to help patients catch disease early even reverse their biological age
    In humanity's quest to live longer, healthier lives, technology — particularly artificial intelligence — is playing an ever-bigger role...
  • US scores D+ for preterm birth rates, says new report: ‘Falling further behind’
    The rate of preterm births remains alarmingly high in the U.S., according to the latest March of Dimes Report Card. The figure was around ...
  • FOX NEWS: Vermont fertility doctor accused of using his own sperm to inseminate woman 41 years ago: lawsuit
    Vermont fertility doctor accused of using his own sperm to inseminate woman 41 years ago: lawsuit A child conceived in 1977 through art...
  • Carbon monoxide deaths are climbing, putting families in peril: ‘My son is lucky to be alive’
    Often dubbed "the silent killer," carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless — it’s been shown to cause severe injury or death in h...

Sample Text

Copyright © 2025 Health | Powered by Blogger
Design by Hardeep Asrani | Blogger Theme by NewBloggerThemes.com | Distributed By Gooyaabi Templates