Health

Kansas Battles One of Largest Tuberculosis Outbreaks in U.S. History

Kansas is experiencing one of the most significant tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks ever recorded in the United States, according to local health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of January 24, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has confirmed 67 active TB cases—60 in Wyandotte County and seven in Johnson County. Additionally, 79 latent TB infections have been reported, with 77 in Wyandotte County and two in Johnson County. Wyandotte County includes part of Kansas City, while Johnson County lies just southwest of the city.

The CDC has dispatched a team to assist with the outbreak, which ranks among the largest in recent history. Previous major TB outbreaks occurred in 2015 at a homeless shelter and in 2021 due to contaminated bone grafts.

Despite the scale of the outbreak, Kansas health officials emphasize that the risk to residents in surrounding counties and the general public remains “very low.” Authorities are closely following CDC guidelines to contain the spread.

Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis and remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, according to the CDC. It spreads through airborne transmission when an infected person coughs, speaks, or sings, releasing bacteria that can remain in the air for hours.

Common TB symptoms include a persistent cough lasting more than three weeks, coughing up blood or phlegm, chest pain, fatigue, weight loss, fever, chills, and night sweats. Health officials urge residents to seek medical attention if they experience these symptoms.

Kindly share this story:
Kindly share this story:
Share on whatsapp
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on telegram
Share on facebook
Top News

Related Articles