Photo by: Marco Ugarte
A migrant child smiles as he waits to be treated for an unknown infection on his body at the Jesus del Buen Pastor del Pobre y el Migrante shelter, in Tapachula, Mexico, Saturday, June 1, 2019. President Donald Trump threatened a 5% tariff on Mexican imports unless America’s southern neighbor cracked down on Central American migrants trying to cross the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) ** FILE **

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

We all know about the unfolding humanitarian disaster at the border and its aftermath. Besides the general chaos, the inherent danger faced by those migrating encompasses sex trafficking, sex assaults and the disruption of lives brought by thousand-mile treks through dangerous environments.

But that’s not all. We are now in a world where infectious diseases, some like measles thought eradicated, have returned and are spreading globally. Understandably, we keep hearing from the government that vaccines are imperative. Whether you have been vaccinated or not, the call is now for everyone to make sure they’re immune through blood tests or additional shots. That’s the right response.

But what the federal government hasn’t told you is that during this dangerous time requiring admonitions that vaccines are imperative, there is no requirement for proof of vaccination for anyone entering this country except for those migrating legally.

The team at Independent Women’s Voice, of which I’m president, has discovered through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that while the government requires proof of vaccination from those seeking to migrate, there is no similar requirement for people visiting on non-immigrant visas — and that is through ports we control.

With the southern border being overwhelmed with 100,000 people a month being apprehended attempting to enter illegally, there is no ability to enforce any sort of massive health check. The border patrol does its best to notice who may be showing symptoms of illness, but there’s nothing to be done about those who are unaware they’re ill with no obvious indications of sickness.

As of May 31, we have 981 cases of measles in 26 states. For a disease we thought eradicated, we are now on track to surpass 1,000 this week, eclipsing the previous record in 1994, which reported 963 for the entire year.

Then we have infectious diseases with no vaccine or cure. Last week, Customs and Border Protection announced “U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Del Rio Station apprehended a large group of 116 individuals Thursday. … ‘This large group from Africa further demonstrates the complexity and severity of the border security and humanitarian crisis at our Southwest border,’ said Chief Raul Ortiz. This is the first large group apprehended in the Del Rio Sector and the first large group of people from Africa — including nationals from Angola, Cameroon and Congo — apprehended on the Southwest border this year.”

Congo is experiencing the worst Ebola outbreak in recent memory, with more than 2,000 confirmed cases and over 1,300 fatalities since late August.

Zika also remains an issue. In Brazil, more than 19,000 cases were reported there last year. Immigrants, legal and illegal, and visitors are coming from countries beset with measles, yellow fever, Zika, Ebola, typhoid fever, mumps, cholera, etc.

USA Today reported this week, “Since the beginning of fiscal year 2019, which began Oct. 1, 2018, agents across the U.S.-Mexican border have apprehended more than 27,000 people from 37 countries other than Mexico, according to Border Patrol statistics. Del Rio Sector’s apprehensions of non-Mexican migrants this year has increased by nearly 500% over the same period in fiscal year 2018.”

The CDC warns, “The large movement of people across the United States and Mexico border has led to an increase in health issues, particularly infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.”

Infectious diseases are an equal opportunity scourge. The catastrophe at the border is a humanitarian one at every level, which does not discriminate. It puts U.S. families at risk, but also in as much danger, if not even more, are the migrant families themselves caught in a vortex encouraged by cynical American politicians who believe it will pay political dividends as they attack and stop efforts of the Trump administration to address and manage the crisis.

We hear arguments that attempting to control the border and stop the chaos at the border is racist or xenophobic. The opposite is true. The fact is, allowing this to continue because Democrats remain obsessed with political vengeance against the president first harms those migrating. To not secure the border and manage immigration is the abandonment of people seeking a better life in this country. Measles, tuberculosis, typhus, the mysterious polio-like virus striking children and Zika, are active in this country.

Yet, if a migrant manages to escape the caravans unscathed, they travel to the interior of the country, where social services are overwhelmed as cities face the influx of tens of thousands of migrants. This collapse of assistance infrastructure forces many to sleep on the street or in tent cities where disease and infection spread.

Something must be done. IWV.org has launched a petition for the White House asking the administration to redouble its efforts to secure the border using every method possible, while asking the CDC to expand the rule requiring proof of vaccination to everyone entering the country legally. The situation at the border is chaos, but to not require proof of vaccination at ports we control, like the airports, is madness as infectious diseases, both curable and incurable, remain an issue.

Far worse than ever before, we face an urgent infectious disease threat to public health for both U.S. citizens and unvaccinated or at-risk (the very young, elderly, immune-compromised) immigrants themselves. This is not a political issue. If we are serious about saving lives and stopping a humanitarian crisis affecting citizen and migrant alike, securing the border and requiring proof of vaccination for everyone entering the country legally must be done.

• Tammy Bruce, president of Independent Women’s Voice, author and Fox News contributor, is a radio talk-show host.

Source: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jun/6/americans-facing-threat-of-infectious-diseases-at-/

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A study by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) estimates that around 33,000 people in the EU die each year after becoming infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The analysis, published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, warned that the burden of these pathogens is similar to HIV, flu and tuberculosis combined.

“Infections due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria are threatening modern healthcare,” the researchers wrote. They tracked a significant increase in the toll from 2007, when there were around 25,000 deaths.

Infants and the elderly were most at risk, with three quarters of infections contracted in hospitals and health clinics. The researchers also recorded vast differences between European countries.

Read more:German scientists find antiobiotic-resistant germs in lakes

Differences across the EU

The ECDC study used data from 2015 and looked at five types of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the European Union and the European Economic Area.

Greece and Italy were by far the hardest hit, while infection rates were lower in northern European countries. In Germany, for example, there were just fewer than 55,000 drug-resistant pathogen infections and nearly 2,400 deaths.

Read more: Scientists return to roots to fight superbugs

Healthcare experts have long warned of the dangers posed by the rise of so-called “superbugs” — bacteria that are able to withstand even the most powerful antibiotics that are used as a last resort in cases where no other treatment options remain.

“When these are no longer effective, it is extremely difficult or, in many cases, impossible to treat infections,” the ECDC said in a statement cited by Reuters.

The study’s authors stressed that tackling this immense health challenge will require coordination at an EU and global level, as well as “prevention and control strategies that are tailored to the needs of each country.”

Ewww!

Just scrape the mold off, right? Wrong. A moldy old sandwich like this one is anything but harmless. While there are some harmless kinds of mold – like on Camembert cheese – many molds are toxic. Furthermore, mycelium spores can trigger allergies. Through contact with highly toxic types of mold, humans with weakened immune defenses could even die as a result of an extended exposure.

Mold as a biocatalyst

Mold can also be useful: Fungi is able to break down carbon hydrates, fats and proteins – more efficiently than any other organism. Industry makes use of a genetically modified Aspergillus niger fungus, which produces enzymes that can be used in food processing and production of detergents – like a living factory.

Salami tactics

“Botulus” is Latin for “sausage.” If mistakes are made in the production of sausage, or if meat or vegetables get contaminated during canning, this can cause botulism. The bacteria Clostridium botulinum causes this life-threatening poisoning.

Life without oxygen

Clostridium botulinum thrives in anaerobic, or oxygen-free, environments. It produces the nerve agent botox – used among cosmetic surgeons to help smooth skin. But in food, it leads to paralysis. At first, certain body parts get paralyzed, resulting in symptoms like slurred speech. But later, also the muscles responsible for breathing and heartbeat freeze up – eventually resulting in death.

Fresh vegetables not always healthy

Fenugreek sprouts were a favorite among Germans trying to eat healthy – until 2011. That year, seeds contaminated with the bacteria Escherichia coli (EHEC) caused an outbreak that killed 53 people – hundreds more were sickened. EHEC produces a toxin that destroys intestinal wall cells, and later attacks brain and kidney cells. Cooking raw vegetables and meat kills the harmful bacteria.

A useful relative

But not all varieties of E. coli are dangerous. Inside the human large intestine, the bacteria are usually responsible for producing vitamin K – important for the development of bones and cells, and for blood coagulation. In biotechnology, the bacteria play a role in producing insulin and growth hormones. They can even be used for turning microalgae into alcohol-based biofuel.

Bacteria preserves foods

Thousands of years ago, humans learned to use lactic acid bacteria – for the production of yoghurt, kefir, sourdough bread and cheese. Raw milk warmed to 20 degrees Celsius is heaven for bacteria: Within 10 hours, the milk will go sour. Milk fermented with the help of bacteria, however, can stay edible for much longer.

Too much of a good thing

One of the many varieties of lactic acid bacteria are streptococci, which play a role in producing sauerkraut and fermented milk products. Although streptococci are everywhere – on humans, animals and plants – some of them are unhealthy. Some strains of strep can trigger tooth decay or sepsis, commonly known as blood poisoning.

Dangerous diarrhea

Rod-shaped bacteria like Campylobacter and Salmonellae cause illness and death the world over. Undercooked beef, pork or chicken containing Campylobacter is a common cause of diarrhea wordwide. Typhus is the most dangerous form of salmonellae, triggering high fever, weak heartbeat and constipation. Every year, about 32 million people are sickened from typhus – mainly by drinking impure water.

Also viruses can contaminate food

Norovirus or stomach flu is transmitted person-to-person through traces of vomit or feces. Just 100 tiny norovirus particles are enough to infect someone. The virus can easily pass into the food chain via infected drinking water.

Author: Fabian Schmidt

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/superbugs-kill-33000-in-europe-each-year-says-study/a-46167151

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