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(December 2007) Marshallese in Arkansas unhealthy, ineligible for health care programs
The Morning News NWA Online ^ | December 10, 2007 | By John Lyon

Posted on 02/07/2008 8:36:10 PM PST by navysealdad

LITTLE ROCK -- The people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands are among the unhealthiest people in the world. An estimated 6,000-8,000 Marshallese immigrants live in Springdale, AR. and the surrounding areas, of whom 867 are children enrolled in the Springdale School District, Pritchard told the House and Senate Interim Committees on Public Health, Welfare and Labor.Deputy State Health Officer Dr. Joe Bates testified that between 2000 and 2005, Northwest Arkansas had nine cases of congenital syphilis, six of which involved Marshallese; 38 people with infectious syphilis, 21 of whom were Marshallese; and nine cases of leprosy, all Marshallese.

Lawmakers also heard testimony from a leader in the Marshallese immigrant community who cried as she asked the legislators to do something to help. Sen. Bill Pritchard, R-Elkins, said the risk of an outbreak of serious disease is high and described the situation as a "time bomb."

Bates said the rate of leprosy in the Marshall Islands is the highest in the world, yet no survey has been done to determine the extent of the disease in among Marshallese immigrants in Arkansas.

"We think there are two to three times more cases of leprosy than we know about," he said.


TOPICS: US: Arkansas
KEYWORDS: aliens; arkansas; communicabledisease; diseases; immigrantlist; immigration; leprosy; marshallislands; publichealth; springdale; syphilis
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To: Pining_4_TX

It’s way out of control and I really don’t see anything good coming. The immigrants of old dealt with the ridicule, distrust, and bigotry as well, but they carried their weight.

The neo immigrants come for the handouts with no requirements and with many no loyalty. Our pocketbooks can only take so much.


21 posted on 02/07/2008 8:58:33 PM PST by Lijahsbubbe
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To: Pining_4_TX

could we AT LEAST make sure that these immigrants aren’t bringing in a dread disease?????

I pray for our kids and hope to god these idiots don’t kill them with some disease that our grandparents eradicated in this country.


22 posted on 02/07/2008 8:59:26 PM PST by annelizly
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To: Lijahsbubbe

That’s how we got this drug resistant TB. It came in with the boat people. I used to be a dental hygienist and I had an epidemiologist for a patient. He used to keep me up dated on what to watch out for.


23 posted on 02/07/2008 9:00:30 PM PST by Eva (Benedict Arnold was a war hero, too.)
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To: navysealdad

Bring us your tired, your poor, your emboldened masses infected with leprosy... The wretched refuse of all other shores... Send these, who work the system, no matter the cost to me... I empty my pockets and open my doors!”


24 posted on 02/07/2008 9:01:36 PM PST by Captainpaintball (www.whathappenedtojohnmccaininthehanoihilton.com)
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To: Eva
Leprosy is another form of Herpes virus.

If there is a case of TB in a school, they will not tell you what class, or age due to student confidentiality. I'm sure that it would be helpful for parents to know where the infection is, since this is spread by coughing.

25 posted on 02/07/2008 9:04:05 PM PST by Lijahsbubbe
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To: Eva
Leprosy is another form of Herpes virus.

BEEP! Thanks for playing, but NO! Leprosy is caused by a bacteria and is pretty easy to treat.

26 posted on 02/07/2008 9:06:58 PM PST by Dianna
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To: Lijahsbubbe

If I knew that there was TB in my child’s school, I would send them to school wearing a surgical mask. There is no reason to expose your child to an infectious disease. That’s like the parents who used expose their kids to measles, mumps, or chicken pox and then have their kid be the one with permanent damage, like loss of hearing.


27 posted on 02/07/2008 9:07:55 PM PST by Eva (Benedict Arnold was a war hero, too.)
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To: navysealdad

...sure open them borders


28 posted on 02/07/2008 9:09:50 PM PST by Doogle (USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand..never store a threat you should have eliminated))
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To: Eva

Political correctness at the expense of others.


29 posted on 02/07/2008 9:11:31 PM PST by Lijahsbubbe
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To: Dianna
Leprosy is not only fairly easy to treat, most varieties of this disease are NOT contagious.
30 posted on 02/07/2008 9:13:49 PM PST by phil1750 (Love like you've never been hurt;Dance like nobody's watching;PRAY like it's your last prayer)
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To: Lijahsbubbe

The school should have a protocol developed by epidemiologists. It may not include you knowing who the original case is, but it would act to isolate those who have contact with that person and initiate testing and if necessary medication.


31 posted on 02/07/2008 9:15:39 PM PST by purpleraine
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To: Eva

If there is TB at your school and the district is non-responsive, I would hold my child out and ask for a new school assignment. I would think the school would have the health department there already responding as I indicated above.


32 posted on 02/07/2008 9:17:19 PM PST by purpleraine
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To: Dianna

When I was in school they told us it was a form of herpes. I just looked it up and you are right, but it is often found along with herpes, so maybe that is why someone taught us incorrectly. Anyway, they said that it was not so easy to treat. I ‘ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out why, though, because my satellite connection is not working very well tonight.


33 posted on 02/07/2008 9:17:21 PM PST by Eva (Benedict Arnold was a war hero, too.)
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To: purpleraine

Sending your kid to school, wearing a surgical mask could trigger a mass revolt, though. That might get a faster reaction from the school board.


34 posted on 02/07/2008 9:19:21 PM PST by Eva (Benedict Arnold was a war hero, too.)
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To: r9etb; Pining_4_TX
"Curb your xenophobic outrage."

Sigh. Who, besides political elitists and globalists, wants their country to be overrun with third-worlders and their diseases and inferior cultures? Have you noticed that our population is being radically altered without our consent? It's not "xenophobic." Wanting to preserve your own country, culture and citizens is healthy and sane. Sorry, but we shouldn't be importing people with leprosy.

35 posted on 02/07/2008 9:20:09 PM PST by teawithmisswilliams (Basta, already!)
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To: r9etb

To be fair, legal immigrants from the early 1900s banded together as well.

This is why places such as Red Lodge, MT, in the coal mining region, had a ‘Festival of Nations’ the entire time I was growing up and had a 100% Italian grandmother and a 100% Austrian grandfather who lived their entire lives there.


36 posted on 02/07/2008 9:22:27 PM PST by Carling (It's Danny, Sir)
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To: r9etb
Others as well.
37 posted on 02/07/2008 9:22:28 PM PST by 1066AD
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To: Eva

If there was TB at my kids school and nothing was being done, I’d not send them there. If you want to, help yourself.


38 posted on 02/07/2008 9:28:00 PM PST by purpleraine
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To: navysealdad; SE Mom; Ahban; Amazed1953; AmericanHeroes.com; Andy E.; Arkansas Gal; ArkieGirl52; ...

Heads UP!

Dog gone it! I was in Springdale three days
ago! Do I need a shower?

Interesting side note...I believe it was a Marshall Islander who shot all those people at the church in Neosho, Mo last year.


39 posted on 02/07/2008 9:29:23 PM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar (Only infidel blood can quench Muslim thirst-- Abdul-Jalil Nazeer al-Karouri)
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To: Carling

And why two Sicilian immigrants, one a coal miner, met in Switzer, WVA and became my grandparents.


40 posted on 02/07/2008 9:29:46 PM PST by purpleraine
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