If you pay attention to the national news, you may have read or heard about the increase in cases of tuberculosis in Kansas. I have not been able to find out what the local thought is concerning why this outbreak has occurred.
At the beginning of the 20th century, tuberculosis was the single most common cause of death in the United States. More than 80% of the population was infected by the age of 20 years. In countries with widely available healthcare, such as North America and Europe, few diseases have declined in frequency and mortality as tuberculosis. However, in countries with fewer resources, the disease, especially with drug-resistant tuberculosis, continues to be a healthcare crisis.
This is not a political statement but a medical one. The influx of large populations of people from all over the world, especially from those areas with minimal healthcare and disease surveillance has placed the US at significant risk of diseases not seen for some time.
I am disappointed with the CDC and other agencies which have not prioritized screening of migrants for communicable diseases. I have not seen or read about any concerns from the US health system about the potential for outbreaks of diseases that could be related to the immigrant issues.
The problem in Kansas does not seem to be making the national news. Along with whatever is being done in Kansas, I really think the US healthcare system needs to protect all the US. We’ll see.
