Parasitic infection plagues states along Mexico border

Just what we need – another open border problem:

Federal researchers say neurocysticercosis, a brain infection caused by a pork tapeworm, is a “growing public health problem in the United States,” especially in states bordering Mexico, where the disease is endemic.

Neurocysticercosis is the “most common parasitic disease of the central nervous system,” according to a study jointly conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and California public health officials, who reported that “international travel and immigration are bringing the disorder to areas where it is not endemic,” such as this country.

This is some nasty stuff. If one eats larvae containing pork, an intestinal infestation of the tapeworm occurs. If the tapeworm eggs are consumed, as the result of fecal contamination of food for instance, THEN the organism encysts in soft tissues – like nerve tissues – like the brain. Unsurprisingly, 1-2 cm cysts in the brain (like large holes in swiss cheese!) does NOT do good things to nervous system functionality. See this link for some hard-core medical info on the medical situations that result.

Also…not only along the border:

“Most patients [187, or 85 percent] were foreign-born, and 137 [62 percent] had emigrated from Mexico….Although neurocysticercosis is “especially” a problem in the Southwest, it has also surfaced in other places, such as New York, Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C., data from other studies show.