In a thoroughly uninformed statement during an interview on a Fox News program hosted by business reporter Charles Payne, a former ICE agent named David Ward in discussing the Central American migrant caravan said the following about a “public health issue”:

Image/geralt via pixabay
Image/geralt via pixabay

“We have these individuals coming from all over the world that have some of the most extreme medical care in the world. They are coming in with diseases such as smallpox and leprosy and T.B. that are going to infect our people in the United States.”

One problem with this “expert” analysis–the last naturally acquired smallpox case was in 1977 and the disease was officially declared eliminated from the planet in 1980.

I don’t suspect smallpox is a risk, to say the least.

Thoughts on the eradicator of smallpox: ‘You can argue that he’s may of saved more lives than any other single human being in human history’

Ward also mentions leprosy. Not a particularly contagious disease (95 percent of people are resistant to infection) and very treatable with antibiotics.

As far as tuberculosis (TB), it already exists in the U.S. and is treatable by antibiotics. Like leprosy, no need to cause fear and panic.

An irresponsible statement from a former ICE official and a host that didn’t do his job by calling him out.

This just does not help at all.