Nearly 200 immigrants in Texas detention centers have mumps

According to a public health agency, nearly 200 immigrants suffer from mumps in detention centers across Texas.

According to Texas health services, 178 inmates had confirmed confirmed mumps cases as of February 21st. Five other cases were reported among employees of detention facilities. Texas detention centers account for 76% of mumps cases in such facilities nationwide, according to federal data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Lara Anton, a spokeswoman for the state department's health services, said in an email that patients aged 13 to 66 were over the age of 14 and that "no transmission to the community" 39, has been reported ".

She added that the state did not know the immunization status of adult detained migrants or children entering the United States with them – but that "all unaccompanied minors are vaccinated when they are detained".

In 2016, in Texas, 191 cases of mumps were reported, the highest number in 22 years. But because of high vaccination rates in the state, the incidence of mumps is generally low here, according to the Department of Health website. According to the National Immunization Survey, among children in Texas, 90.3% were vaccinated against mumps in 2017.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that children receive two doses of the mumps vaccine before the age of six. The agency also encourages teens and adults to keep abreast of their mumps vaccinations. The vaccine effectiveness rate is 88% when people receive the two recommended doses.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of mumps include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue and loss of appetite, followed by swollen salivary glands. The agency's website indicates that outbreaks usually occur among people "in close and prolonged contact".

Detention centers are required to report illnesses among immigrants and employees, including mumps, measles, chicken pox, HIV, tetanus, hepatitis and tuberculosis.

Detained migrants undergo medical, dental and mental checks within 12 hours of arrival at the centers, in accordance with US immigration and customs enforcement standards. If they have urgent medical or psychiatric needs, they benefit from priority screening.

But in the case of mumps, a person who has been exposed may not show symptoms immediately, said Dr. Hector Gonzalez, director of health of the health department of the city of Laredo. Symptoms can appear within 25 days of exposure to a person with mumps.

The Gonzalez agency recently investigated five mumps cases at the local immigration detention center. His service waited to see if more people in the facility would develop mumps, but he did not see any new cases.

"We intervene and take the necessary steps to prevent any spread," said Gonzalez, including isolating patients, providing vaccines and encouraging inmates to remember to wash their hands and cover their mouths when they are not safe. they cough.

While most American children are vaccinated against mumps, vaccination standards and exposure to diseases vary from country to country, said Dr. Andrea Caracostis, CEO of Hope Clinic. , a health center in southwestern Houston that often supports immigrants. She explained that bringing detainees together for long periods of time – without really knowing what they were exposed to – is the mode of spread of communicable diseases.

"You do not have to be in the facility to know that the conditions in the area are not quite sanitary and are not equipped to deal with diseases," said Caracostis. "These are contagious diseases; they thrive in places where there is no adequate sanitary management. "

Asking detention centers to separate immigrants during an epidemic, no matter what the type, is a challenge. A person with mumps should be isolated until they are cured – and anyone who has been in contact with mumps should be quarantined separately until it is clear that they do not develop symptoms.

Dr. David Persse, public health officer of the Houston Department of Health, said he was frustrated to see more cases of mumps coming out of the ICE center of his city. The ministry initially confirmed seven cases on February 9. Now this number has increased to 11.

"It tells me that isolation and quarantine efforts are not being deployed as expeditiously as possible," Persse said.

Persse said he was frustrated by the fact that more cases have developed in recent weeks, but said the Houston center director was working closely with the local health department to separate the affected detainees. mumps.

"Let [the warden] do everything perfectly well. He is still in danger, "said Persse, because migrants are transferred from other institutions and have no symptoms or are unaware that they have been exposed.

"The Texas Tribune, a non-profit, non-partisan media organization, first published Mumps in Texas Detention Centers," was first published by The Texas Tribune.