News and Commentary on Politics, Media and Culture

File this one under “who the hell can we fire for this incompetent blunder“?

A Mexican national infected with a highly contagious form of tuberculosis crossed the U.S. border 76 times and took multiple domestic flights in the last year, according to Customs and Border Protection interviews and documents obtained by The Washington Times.

The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency was warned by health officials on April 16 that the frequent traveler was infected, but it took the Homeland Security officials more than six weeks to issue a May 31 alert to warn its own border inspectors, according to Homeland Security sources who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. Homeland Security took one more week to tell its own Transportation Security Agency.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR) is a highly contagious illness and also resistant to the two most commonly used drugs to treat TB.

Not just any form of TB. This person is infected with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Like most other cases of bureaucratic incompetence this major episode will likely go unpunished. Amado Isidro Armendariz Amaya came into contact with perhaps thousands of men, woman and children. Meanwhile the bafoons at the Department of Homeland Security sat on the information for six weeks before they issued an alert.

How dangerous is this airborne infectious and highly contagious form of TB? (all emphasis mine)

• A physician with the CDC says that they usually only notify flights that are eight hours or longer that passengers could have potentially been infected. But other physicians say the disease can be transmitted within minutes — especially in persons with lowered immunity — and recommend anyone coming in contact with this contagious illness seek medical attention. - Wash Times

• Presently, TB is the second greatest contributor among infectious diseases to adult mortality causing approximately two million deaths a year worldwide. WHO estimates that one-third of the world’s population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The WHO/IUATLD Global Project on Drug Resistance Surveillance has found MDR-TB (prevalence > 4% among new TB cases) in Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

  Given the increasing trend toward globalisation, trans-national migration, and tourism, all countries are potential targets for outbreaks of MDR-TB. - World Health Organization

• The general symptoms of TB disease include feelings of sickness or weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. The symptoms of TB disease of the lungs may also include coughing, chest pain, and coughing up blood. Symptoms of TB disease in other parts of the body depend on the area affected. If you have these symptoms, you should contact your doctor or local health department. - CDC

• people with MDR TB have now been reported from 43 states and the District of Columbia. - CDC

I feel safe, don’t you?

(H/T - Michael Savage)

See Also: Michelle Malkin

Correction: I changed the original headline from immigrant to foreign national because visas come in both immigrant and non-immigrant forms. The i-94 that this man applied for is a non-immigrant form. It is unclear what type of visa that he had previously but it is technically incorrect to call him an immigrant. He is a traveler on a visa.

According to the Washington Times “Roger Maier, spokesman with El Paso CBP, says the delay for issuing a “be on the lookout” (BOLO) alert to stop the man at the border was caused by the traveler’s use of an alias.”

Hmmm. Why would a legal traveler use an alias to enter the United States? That is a question that nobody is discussing yet.

Trackposted to Blue Star Chronicles, The Pink Flamingo, Stuck On Stupid, Leaning Straight Up, Right Voices, and The Populist, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Others:
Michelle Malkin

 Send this post a Friend  

Trackback URI | Comments RSS