Until we accepted millions of unscreened people from outside the US where TB was more common.
We have ~20% immigrant population, yet TB cases have been decreasing since at least 2016. (rates since at least 2009?)
Why do you think your hypothesis would be stronger than TFA's?
year cases rate/100k
2023 9615 2.9
2022 8331 2.5
2021 7870 2.4
2020 7171 2.2
2019 8895 2.7
2018 8997 2.8
2017 9069 2.8
2016 9239 2.9
2015 9538 3.0
2014 9381 2.9
2013 9513 3.0
2012 9906 3.2
2011 10471 3.4
2010 11069 3.6
2009 11491 3.7
2008 12943 4.3
2007 13276 4.4
2006 13720 4.6
2005 14053 4.8
2004 14498 5.0
2003 14835 5.1
2002 15054 5.2
2001 15946 5.6
2000 16309 5.8
1999 17494 6.3
1998 18288 6.6
1997 19753 7.2
1996 21212 7.9
1995 22727 8.5
1994 24207 9.2
1993 25105 9.7
1992 26673 10.4
1991 26283 10.4
1990 25701 10.3
1989 23495 9.5
1988 22436 9.2
1987 22517 9.3
1986 22768 9.5
1985 22201 9.3
1984 22255 9.4
1983 23846 10.2
1982 25520 11.0
1981 27373 11.9
1980 27749 12.2
1979 27669 12.3
1978 28521 12.8
1977 30145 13.7
1976 32105 14.7
1975 33989 15.7
1974 30122 14.1
1973 30998 14.6
1972 32882 15.7
1971 35217 17.0
1970 37137 18.1
1969 39120 19.3
1968 42623 21.2
1967 45647 23.0
1966 47767 24.3
1965 49016 25.2
1964 50874 26.5
1963 54042 28.6
1962 53315 28.6
1961 53726 29.2
1960 55494 30.7
1959 57535 32.4
1958 63534 36.3
1957 67149 39.0
1956 69895 41.4
1955 77368 46.6
1954 79775 48.9
1953 84304 52.6
Unless you plan to lockdown the country entirely, preventing people traveling is not an effective approach.
>Most tuberculosis (TB) cases in the US are diagnosed in foreign-born persons, and undocumented foreign-born may face particular barriers to timely access to health services.
This very well might be an issue. UNICEF and other aid organizations work dilligently to eradicate TB and other poverty-adjacent diseases, so perhaps individuals and the US Gov should increase their aid to other nations.
It's not a great surprise that one would find TB in cross-border migrants, but it's an indictment of the system that the disease continues to spread over here.
Next up: lepra, also caused by a mycobacterium
yup, and also due to those pesky immigrants!
oh, but wait! it is actually endemic among native armadillos (USA) and native red squirrels (UK) - you almost never see a red squirrel in the UK, so don't worry.
We truly are in the fuck you and it’s your fault I don’t have mine era.
It's easier to blame people for being incredibly irresponsible when we have an example of them doing so.
Yes, but please don't blame people for feeling that way. People don't feel safe.
When people are insecure, they look to authoritarians for simple solutions. And both major political parties are happy to oblige.
When people are secure, they can care more about other people and issues beyond themselves. But they have to feel safe first. Unfortunately, lack of safety is something people can campaign on and campaigning on "things are good enough already" just never works - even when it's true.
We are in an era where we keep giving up more and more of our civil rights for a promised safety that is never delivered.
The blue collar worker has a single cookie on his plate, the immigrant no cookies at all, and the rich guy a plate full of cookies. The rich guy with his plate full of cookies, looking at the worker, points to the immigrant. “He wants your cookie”.
https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/bcg-vaccine-for-tuberculosis...
This all makes it very difficult/impossible to eradicate.
Speaking as an ex TB lab technician, but not for a long time past.
1. CDC Funding Cuts
2. antibiotic resistance and not profitable to look for other "cures".
3. Poor Health Care Insurance in the US. People do not want to go to the Doctor for fear of the bill.
4. Anti-science trend in the US. The last election seemed to prove it is approaching 50%