Two Outbreaks of Tuberculosis in Florida Triggers Public Outcry Against Haitian Immigration

Media report in Palm Beach County, Florida that two separate elementary schools have outbreaks of tuberculosis.  Parents at Seminole Ridge High School in Loxahatchee and Orchard View Elementary in Delray Beach have blamed recent immigrant Haitian students for the outbreaks. 

This is an example of public outcry leveled at public health in the context of unexpected or non-routine pediatric infectious disease threats.  Similar behavior was observed in many countries, including the United States, during the emergence of pandemic H1N1 in elementary schools.  Such outcry may evolve into public demonstrations or localized acts of violence.  Demonstrations in the United States are typically peaceful, and threatened or actual acts of violence are usually committed by individuals.