UAE winter: Doctors record spike in cold, flu cases amid rains, weather change
Vaccinating Migrants Like US Children Would Have Prevented Disease Outbreaks At Chicago Shelters: Experts
The alarming outbreak of measles and tuberculosis (TB) at migrant shelters in Chicago could easily have been avoided if the illegal migrants had been vaccinated at the border and if they weren't living in cramped conditions, two medical experts tell Fox News Digital.
Chicago health officials said Wednesday that a "small number" of TB cases were reported at some migrant facilities, following reports of dozens of measles cases at these facilities.
Concerns are quickly growing that these cases will multiply and spread to the general population in the Windy City. There are also fears that similar outbreaks could occur in other sanctuary cities such as New York, Boston and Denver — jurisdictions that are also packing migrants into makeshift shelters and hotels.
Unlike most U.S.-born children who have to follow strict vaccination schedules, migrant students were, up until last month, not required to be vaccinated in order to attend school in Chicago under an exemption for children living in unstable housing, according to reports. In New York City, migrant students were also given waivers at the start of the 2023-2024 school year.
READ MORE OF FOX NEWS' COVERAGE OF THE BORDER CRISIS
A student in Florida with measles. (iStock )
At least two students who tested positive for measles were living at Chicago's Pilsen migrant shelter, although it is unclear at the time of this publication if they had been vaccinated.
Amid the outbreak, Chicago moved to vaccinate all migrants at its shelters. Fox News Digital reached out to the Chicago Board of Education, the mayor's office and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) about vaccination procedures and exemptions but did not receive a response.
Nearly 40,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago since August 2022, according to the city's "New Arrivals Situational Awareness Dashboard." Migrants who are stopped at the border and then released into the general population are rarely medically screened or given vaccines. Legal migrants, like Green Card holders, are required to be vaccinated for a range of inoculations as part of their approval process.
Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a New York City-based double board-certified doctor, says the outbreaks at the Chicago migrant shelters were easily foreseen.
"To be honest, I'm not surprised. We have open borders with all sorts of people coming in from countries from all over the world bringing in various illnesses, viruses, disease and bacterial infections," Nesheiwat says.
Tuberculosis under a microscope, left, and a Chicago migrant shelter, right. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, right, NIH/NAID/IMAGE.FR/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, top left, BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, bottom left.)
Measles is a highly contagious and serious airborne disease that can lead to severe complications and even death, especially in children. It is characterized by a fever as high as 105°F and malaise, cough, coryza and conjunctivitis followed by spots and a rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Tuberculosis, meanwhile, is also transmitted in airborne particles and typically affects the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain.
The measles outbreak at the shelters could easily have been prevented if migrants were given the highly effective measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, Nesheiwat says. However, the tuberculosis vaccine is generally not administered in the U.S. Due to its low success rate. Instead, good hygiene and preventing people from living in cramped conditions is the best way to stop tuberculosis from spreading, she explains.
"Tuberculosis is a lung infection and one of the most common lung infections worldwide, it impacts millions of people," Nesheiwat says.
Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a New York City-based double board-certified doctor, and, Dr. Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins health policy expert and surgeon, right. (Fox News)
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Tuberculosis cases jumped by around 1,300 cases last year to more than 9,600, the highest total in a decade, according to the CDC. As of March 28, there were 97 confirmed cases of measles in the U.S., shattering last year's 58 cases total.
"You can catch tuberculosis if someone is coughing or sneezing or in close contact, the bacteria from those particles gets into the air and anybody nearby will breathe that in and that's how they pick it up and that's how they catch it," Nesheiwat says. "It's concerning to those who may have weak immune systems or who have underlying medical problems like asthma, lung disease, heart disease."
Tuberculosis is not as contagious as COVID, Nesheiwat says, and you would have to be around someone for a long period of time or be in crowded areas like shelters in order to catch it.
"The good news is we have treatment for it, but the not-so-good news is the treatment is for six to 12 months of treatment of multiple antibiotics," Nesheiwat says. "What's scary is that there are some strains of tuberculosis that are resistant to the typical antibiotics."
A measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, which doctors say is very effective at preventing measles. (iStock)
She also raised fears that migrants who are put on these medications may not follow through with the treatment, which could lead to pockets of outbreaks being replicated throughout the country, adding that it's hard for health officials to keep tabs on their schedule.
Dr. Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins health policy expert and surgeon, says conditions at the migrant shelters are now a public health concern given that tuberculosis can convert into a chronic disease with "a constellation of health complications affecting almost every organ system in the body."
"The reports of the crowding are that it is the worst it's ever been in recent history. We're seeing outbreaks in highly susceptible populations that are preventable," Makary explains. "One of the sort of basics in public health is that when people in a crowded area become sick, they should be separated. They should not be in close contact with others when they have no choice, then that is a recipe for an outbreak."
"However," Makary continues, "the amount of time spent in the shelter has decreased, suggesting that people may manifest the infection after their time in the shelter."
A migrant child running, left and an MMR vaccine, right. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, left, Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images, right)
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He said that measles is typically not fatal, but can cause permanent health damage in the children who acquire it.
The MMR vaccine, while highly effective, does not provide instant immunity in the week in which it's administered, he says.
"So I think their issue in Chicago is they're discovering cases of measles after the fact," he explains. "I don't think there is a significant risk to the public, because most people are vaccinated against measles while tuberculosis requires some kind of direct interaction. But a migrant who is sick not only needs help, but they also need some degree of precaution."
Nesheiwat says a measles infection can lead to brain inflammation, blindness, deafness and pneumonia.
"You're protecting against serious, potentially life-threatening, infections or complications," Nesheiwat says of the MMR vaccine. "There is a high rate of effectiveness with these vaccines, so the outbreak was absolutely preventable."
Nesheiwat also says she has been giving shots to migrants attending public schools in New York City, where around 180,000 migrants have arrived since 2022. The city's board of education tells Fox News Digital that students in temporary housing are still not asked for immunization records or immigration status before they enroll in schools, although they are required to follow the CDC's immunization catch-up requirements.
Migrants wait in a long line overnight hoping to receive a placement in a New York City shelter in December. (Getty Images )
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A CDC report found that about 3% of children entering kindergarten in the 2022–2023 school year were given an exemption in their state — the highest level ever recorded.
With the recent spike in measles and tuberculosis, Nesheiwat says that people should be making sure they are getting their annual physical checkups in order to stay healthy.
"That's when we listen to your heart and your lungs and check your vital signs," Nesheiwat says. "And if you're having any symptoms like prolonged cough or fever, night sweats, chills, weight loss, see your doctor. Don't put it off, don't delay because the earlier we can begin treatment, the earlier we can diagnose you and the better the outcomes."
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to michael.Dorgan@fox.Com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
Targeted Vaccines Protect Human And Animal Health
In Peru, as in many other countries, Newcastle disease is a highly contagious viral disease that can devastate flocks, caused by infection by one of several strains of avian Newcastle disease virus. Most vaccines are largely based on genotype I or II strains, but we are developing genotype-matched vaccines that offer better protection against the strains prevalent in Peru and other Andean countries.
Other diseases that can have devastating effects on the poultry industry are infectious laryngotracheitis, a respiratory tract infection caused by a herpes virus, and Salmonella infection, which is also a risk to humans.
How are Farvet's products helping to treat or prevent disease in chickens?By producing vaccines against specific strains of virus and bacteria we are able to protect animals from disease outbreaks more effectively and reduce the use of antimicrobials, such as antibiotics. This is important for limiting the rise in antimicrobial drug resistance and untreatable human infections.
We are also working on diagnostic kits that can rapidly detect the presence of viruses or disease-causing bacteria in the field. Two of our researchers have recently patented a kit that will help veterinarians, through testing nasal secretions, to accurately diagnose and monitor diseases including, Avibacterium paragallinarum (coryza), laryngotracheitis disease and swollen head syndrome. This will enable them to take immediate action without the logistic delay of sending samples to a distant laboratory.
What are Farvet's greatest achievements to date?Farvet's first product, launched more than 30 years ago, was a vaccine against Salmonella gallinarum, the causative agent of fowl typhoid, a severe systemic disease of chickens that results in high mortality. Farmers were struggling to control the disease as the bacteria were resistant to the available antibiotics. This vaccine is still in use today and is proving very effective in controlling the disease.
We are also very pleased with a vaccine generated by reverse genetics against an aggressive form of Newcastle disease virus prevalent in Peru and our vaccines against strains commonly found in Bolivia and Colombia, which are protecting millions of birds each year.
Our combination vaccine for pigs not only protects them against Salmonella, but also against disease-causing viruses that threaten commercial pig farms.
What are Farvet's strengths?Our innovative approach means that we are continually investing in the latest genomic technologies and developing the skills of our staff, which include more than 25 molecular biologists, veterinarians and chemists. Eighty per cent of the income generated from vaccine sales is reinvested in R&D and we have a growing number of collaborative agreements with research organisations in the EU and the US. By working with researchers at the Pirbright Institute, Charles River, and the University of Peru, our scientists draw on their experience using state-of-the-art technologies.
What is Farvet currently working on?We have many projects on the development of monoclonal antibodies for diagnostic kits, not just for poultry, but for pigs and dogs. We are using gene editing technologies to develop new vaccines against avian diseases. Chicken is the main source of animal protein in Peru and more than 64 million chickens are produced per month. Keeping flocks healthy is crucial for the country's poultry industry and meeting growing consumer demand.
Where is Farvet going next?We are keeping pace with genomic advances and starting to carry out metagenomic analyses to understand the microbiome of livestock species and improve both animal and human health. We are also working on the development of biosimilars and moving into the companion animal health sector. We are expanding to produce vaccines, diagnostics and medicines for cats and dogs by 2021.
Farvet is a revered company in biotechnology and one of the few in the country to export medicinal products. We want to keep attracting young talent and demonstrating the importance of applied research to solve veterinary industry problems.
Biography: Rupert Blue
In 1918, the nation's top medical specialists had not yet reached a consensus on exactly what influenza was. Before trying to define the disease for an alarmed citizenry, public health officials debated amongst themselves. A large part of the burden of informing and protecting the public fell to 50-year-old Rupert Blue, Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service. Blue was in sole command of 180 health officers and 44 quarantine stations throughout the country. Blue's 1918 advisory to the nation regarding how to recognize influenza stated:
"In most cases a person taken sick with influenza feels sick rather suddenly. He feels weak, has pains in the eyes, ears, head or back, abdomen, etc., and may be sore all over. Many patients feel dizzy… Ordinarily the fever lasts from three to four days and the patient recovers. But while the proportion of deaths is usually low, in some places the outbreak is severe and deaths are numerous…"
In the early autumn days of the outbreak, Blue was particularly concerned that military bases be prepared for an onslaught of illness. He issued urgent bulletins to camps on the dangers of making incorrect diagnoses:
"It is important that influenza be kept out of the camps as far as practicable. To this end it must be recognized as a disease which is distinct and separate from the so-called 'cold, bronchitis, laryngitis, coryza, or rhinitis and fever type,' which are continually with us and from time to time become prevalent."
By the time Blue delivered these guidelines, however, influenza had already established a foothold in military camps from Massachusetts to Louisiana and was starting to make its presence felt as far west as Camp Kearny in California.
Blue's other concern was shoring up the nation's ranks of medical professionals — depleted by World War I — to care for influenza victims. Using the influence of his office and relying on contacts he had made throughout his career, Blue summoned scores of doctors out of retirement, including those debilitated by old age, disfigurement, and in some cases, near-blindness. Somehow Rupert Blue was able to enlist 250 additional doctors to aid the Public Health Service. He also tried to impress upon civic leaders the severity of the influenza, and went on record as being in favor of closing "all gathering places if the community is threatened with the epidemic. This," Blue contended, "will do much toward checking the spread of the disease."
When claims of vaccines and folk cures tempted citizens to let their guard down, Blue warned:
"The Health Service urges the public to remember that there is as yet no specific cure for influenza and that many of the alleged cures and remedies now being recommended by neighbors, nostrum vendors and others do more harm than good."
In the epidemic's aftermath, Rupert Blue was among those calling for a more organized national approach to public health and proposed a "centralized national department of health with powers far greater than the U.S.P.H.S. Had ever had before…"
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