Tuberculosis (TB), a potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs, is not a disease we hear much about anymore. For the past several decades, it’s largely been eradicated from the United States.

[lz_bulleted_list title=”Diseases Making a Comeback in U.S.” source=”http://www.formerFDA.com”]Tuberculosis|Measles|Whooping Cough|Mumps|Scarlet Fever|Zika|Bubonic Plague|(largely due to unenforced border policies)[/lz_bulleted_list]

However, in Wisconsin, 27 cases of active TB were found among refugees arriving in the state between 2014 and 2015 — the highest in the country. The total number of active TB cases diagnosed among refugees resettled in the United States in recent years now stands at 468. Yet there’s a big “but” when it comes to these numbers: Thirty-six states have yet to report their number.

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In Minnesota, active cases of the disease are on the rise, largely among refugees arriving there. Their numbers are actually 10 times higher than any of the 14 other states that have released refugee TB data to the public. That’s according to a new report from Breitbart, which used data provided by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Forty-four cases were reported in the last quarter alone, with the majority of cases located in and around the Minneapolis-St. Paul area or Hennepin County. Statewide, there were 69 total cases reported through June 30, 2016. Updated numbers are due out this month.

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“This is extremely concerning and the consequence of having unscreened immigrants flow through USA’s open border,” said Dr. David Gortler, a pharmacology expert, drug safety expert, and Food and Drug Administration policy expert at FormerFDA.com.

“Tuberculosis is extremely contagious and those strains coming in from other countries are MDR — or ‘multi-drug-resistant.’ Screening should be taking place at the border and could be as easy as a simple skin test and using a thermometer to screen for a fever as a sign of infection,” said Gortler.

[lz_table title=”2016 Tuberculosis by Risk Category in Minnesota” source=”health.state.mn.us”]Risk Category, Number

Foreign born, 61

Substance abuse, 3

Homeless, 2

HIV infected, 6

Other medical condition, 14

Nursing Home Resident, 1[/lz_table] MORE NEWS: Ep 48 | Assassination Attempt On President Goes Uncovered, Schools Opt for Silent Lunches Between 2010 and 2014, 296 refugees were diagnosed with active TB, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Seventy-one were diagnosed within one year of their arrival, while 225 were diagnosed after the first year but within five years of their arrival. Breitbart presented this data after reviewing statistics made available by each state that has released refugee TB data to the public. During the years between 2010 and 2014, 20 percent of Minnesota’s active TB cases (or 161 out of 732) were diagnosed among the 1 percent of the state’s residents born in Somalia. The remaining 99 percent of the state’s population accounted for 80 percent of Minnesota’s active TB cases (471 out of 732).

Regardless of where the disease came from, Gortler said it’s incredibly concerning in Minnesota and nationwide, as “transmission occurs very easily, such as coming near someone through sneezing, talking, or laughing.” The Minnesota Department of Health maintains there is no increased threat from the refugee population specifically and instead, health officials told LifeZette in a previous interview that most of those with TB developed the disease after being in the U.S. for years. The presence of other medical conditions is the chief risk factor for the activation of TB disease in a person with latent infection. The officials also report the numbers are higher in Minnesota purely because the state’s system of screening, which occurs within 90 days of arrival in the U.S., is more sensitive and complete than most other states. [lz_ndn video=31487405]

Gortler maintains, however, that there is cause for concern. He points out that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a third of the world’s population was infected with tuberculosis in 2013; of the 9 million globally who have the virus, 1.5 million people died. Tuberculosis is also the leading cause of death for those with HIV.