Over 2,000 migrants in US detention centers were quarantined on Thursday due to outbreaks of mumps and other communicable infections.
According to a report from Reuters, “a total of 2,287 detainees were quarantined around the country,” as of March 7.
“ICE health officials have been notified of 236 confirmed or probable cases of mumps among detainees in 51 facilities in the past 12 months, compared to no cases detected between January 2016 and February 2018. Last year, 423 detainees were determined to have influenza and 461 to have chicken pox. All three diseases are largely preventable by vaccine,” the report states.
Mumps is spread easily through droplets of saliva in the air, it can cause brain swelling, sterility and hearing loss.
According to the report, there are currently more than 50,000 migrants in US detention centers. Reuters reports that US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan told reporters that “changing demographics on the southwest border, with more immigrants from Central America traveling long distances, overwhelmed border officials and raised health concerns.”
“We are seeing migrants arrive with illnesses and medical conditions in unprecedented numbers,” McAleenan said.
Detention centers in Louisiana, Colorado, Arizona and Texas have all had outbreaks of viral infections.
Democrats are worried that the quarantines will have trouble dealing with lawyers to get asylum, but seem less concerned about the diseases being brought into our nation in the first place.
