Tuberculosis Cases on the Rise Amid Migrant Surge

Mcallen,,Tx/u.s.,-,April,17,,2019:,A,Young,Central,American — McAllen, Tx/U.S. - April 17, 2019: A young Central American boy migrant who, with his family, is seeking asylum from poverty and gang violence, waits to board a bus to his Immigration hearing sponsor.

(AmericanProsperity.com) – According to a Daily Mail October 6 report, New York City is currently facing a significant rise in tuberculosis cases, with authorities and health experts worried about a possible resurge in the United States. The British newspaper noted that preliminary data revealed that 500 cases of this disease have been diagnosed in the so-called “Big Apple” so far this year, which represents a 20 percent increase in tuberculosis cases from this time in 2022. There are also fears this situation could’ve been caused by the migrant crisis in the city, which has received over 100,000 migrants since spring.

Infections are currently at their highest level in New York City for this time of year in over a decade, with experts pointing out this could expand to other areas of the United States. Health officials told the Daily Mail they believe this surge could be caused by fatigue, following the last pandemic and the way so many people are avoiding treatments and clinics.

They also argued that the situation is exacerbated by the closure of the sole tuberculosis clinic in Manhattan, as the other three in the city are not enough to handle all patients. These health officials pointed out that this reduction in capacity implies that those with active infections will have to wait two days for treatment, which raises the risk of infecting others.

During an interview with Politico, Treatment Action Group member Elizabeth Lovinger explained that New York City is experiencing a more “dramatic resurgence” than anyone expected. She also pointed out that every time the Big Apple experiences a high spike in tuberculosis or any other infectious diseases, this tends to be a “bellwether” for the rest of the nation.

This media outlet said that tuberculosis cases fell in the United States in 2020, considering the reduction in testing after so many people stayed home because of the pandemic. There were only 8,300 of tuberculosis in 2022 and almost 9,000 in 2019. Politico also noted that tuberculosis cases were severely declining after dropping below 10,000 in 2012, before the pandemic.