Posted on 06/07/2014 2:49:17 PM PDT by kristinn
MCALLEN, TX - There’s a growing health concern with hundreds of illegal immigrants crossing over into southern Texas.
U.S. Border Patrol agents are worried that what's coming over into the U.S. could harm everyone.
This time the focus is not on the women and children that are crossing over in droves.
Agents are worrying about a viral outbreak.
“We are sending people everywhere. The average person doesn't know what's going on down here,” said Border Patrol agent and Rio Grande Valley Union representative Chris Cabrera.
Cabrera says agents are seeing illegal immigrants come over with contagious infections.
Detention centers and holding facilities have quarantined areas for those who come in sick. But Cabrera says the sick and healthy are separated only by caution tape.
“There's been an outbreak of scabies that's been going on for the past month,” Cabrera said.
Texas border resident Jorge Garcia says word about the contagious skin infection is getting around.
“Our Border Patrol agents check on us all the time and they told us about the outbreak of scabies,” Garcia said.
Cabrera says the sickness doesn't stop at scabies.
“We are starting to see chicken pox, MRSA staph infections, we are starting to see different viruses,” Cabrera said.
Garcia believes the viruses are not confined to the detention center. Not long ago, a group of border-crossers came knocking on his door.
“It was a 7-month-old baby. It was shaking, it had a fever,” Garcia said.
The Department of Homeland Security called in Coast Guard medics to help treat those who are sick. But Cabrera doesn't believe the federal government is doing enough. He says other Border Patrol agents have contracted scabies and he fears it will spread quickly.
“It's contagious, we are transporting people to different parts of the state and different parts of the country,” Cabrera said.
“Just the fact we are exposed to it, and so is everyone here in south Texas, it's a great concern to us,” Garcia said.
It's unclear how many were treated for illness.
DHS has denied all requests for interviews with doctors and medical staff treating sick immigrants. The agency has also turned down our request for a tour.
They only released this statement:
DHS has public health controls in place to minimize any possible health risks. Throughout the RGV Sector we are conducting public health screens on all incoming detainees to screen for any symptoms of contagious diseases of possible public health concern. U.S. Border Patrol has established Medical Units at its busiest border stations (McAllen, Weslaco, and Ft Brown) handling UAC. US Coast Guard medical teams are assisting with the screening process, and providing healthcare evaluations for the sick and injured.
Occupational health and safety guidance has been provided to for CBP personnel in the handling of subjects with signs of health-related symptoms. Our workforce has been provided and encouraged to use personal protective gear including latex or non-latex gloves, long-sleeve shirts, and to take precaution including frequent hand washing.
Interesting - just read the article a little more closely. This is a Phoenix TV station reporting on the problem in McAllen, TX. While the same thing is happening here in Arizona.
Yes, and no. Feds are reportedly vaccinating the people they are transporting here to AZ.
Institute border checks? Where? At the Ports of Entry? Or in the middle of the desert in between PoEs, where most of the illegals enter the U.S.?
Start?
The DHS is reportedly busing the illegals from Texas and dumping them at bus stations in Arizona, so I was thinking that AZ could stop all suspect buses and inspect them and turn some back. Of course, Obama would probably send in the marines to stop any effort like that.
That would work, yes, for the folks in this article.
They are by far not all of the illegals streaming in all along the U.S./Mexico border.
Do you remember which station?
Wilder said this appears to be more than a temporary situation. He said as children leave the Nogales facility they are expected to be replaced by new arrivals, with capacity there at 1,500 at any one time.
A couple of "new students" had tested positive when they enrolled.
There should be boats in the gulf to put these people on and humaneky ship them back to where they come from
Mmmmm they are already here and have been for years. And yes, we pay to treat them.
Humanely. Sorry.
Chan. 13...KOLD.
If you voted for Obama its your fault
-=0=-
Don’t forget the bunch who “couldn’t” vote Romney......spit
Ha! Holder's thugs or the EPA would douse it immediately.
All it takes is one mosquito bite to add wings to some infections.
Kansas has a number of meat processing plant towns, and illegal aliens often collect there for jobs.
Looking at a map of the outbreaks of diseases not usually seen in the state overlays the map of those towns.
I’ve heard that there have been some cases (not many) of leprosy (though as armadillos have migrated north, it might be due to them), but TB is becoming a serious problem in some areas.
And there have been a number of confirmed cases of measles as well.
Mark
Hells bells, they ARE the disease.
I work in a nursing home. Two recent admissions from hospitals have scabies. They are not immigrants but we assume they got it at the hospital.
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