The Tijuana health department is reporting a significant percentage of the caravan migrants are suffering from illness including some with infectious diseases.
Fox News reports:
The spokesman told Fox News that out of 6,000 migrants currently residing in the city, over a third of them (2,267) are being treated for health-related issues.
There are three confirmed cases of tuberculosis, four cases of HIV/AIDS and four separate cases of chickenpox, the spokesman said.
One infectious disease detected in the caravan was tuberculosis which can easily spread via the air.
From the CDC website:
TB bacteria are spread through the air from one person to another. The TB bacteria are put into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, speaks, or sings. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.
Chickenpox is also dangerous:
Chickenpox can be severe, even for healthy babies and children. Here’s why the #chickenpox vaccine is the best protection against the disease: https://t.co/YNGU28MDcg. pic.twitter.com/hhZYJTSvjT
— CDC (@CDCgov) July 5, 2018
While the number of individuals with infectious diseases are small, the findings document a public health risk from the migrant caravan.