Thursday, March 24, 2016

Tuberculosis. Just like I said.

CDC says TB cases are up this year, for the first time in 25 years.

Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia each had more cases in 2015 than 2014, raising questions -- but no definitive answers -- about a possible resurgence of one of the world's deadliest diseases.

The overall increase was relatively small: 157 more cases, bringing the 2015 total to 9,563. Two-thirds of the total were among people born abroad, with Asians accounting for the most cases (3,007) and the highest rate (28.2 cases per 100,000 persons). By comparison, there were only .5 cases per 100,000 whites last year.

Remember I said this was coming? I hate being right.

But pay attention to this part of the statement. This is the good part:

"After two decades of declining incidence, progress toward TB elimination in the United States appears to have stalled," the CDC report said. The causes are unclear, it said, and the data need further evaluation if the reasons behind the trend are to be identified.

And...
 
 More than half of cases reported in 2015 were clustered in four states — California, Florida, New York and Texas — which have one-third of the U.S. population.

 To be clear, 2015 did not have the most cases of TB in 25 years. The number of cases has been declining for 25 years. 2015 is the first year it increased over the year before.

Meaning, despite everything the American public health establishment and their billions of dollars of funding could do, the number of cases increased. In border states. Which are being flooded with illegal immigrants from places where TB is endemic. Plus NY, which is a destination state because of its generous welfare and medicare programs.

The CDC very, very carefully does not connect those dots.

But I will. TB will continue to increase as long as people get across the US border without being tested for TB. Guaranteed.

The Phantom

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