Kansas has one of the largest tuberculosis epidemics ever recorded in the United States, according to local officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, there were 67 confirmed active TB cases as of January 24, including 60 in Wyandotte County and 7 in Johnson County.
79 latent TB infections have also been confirmed, with 77 cases in Wyandotte County, and two in Johnson County. Wyandotte County includes part of Kansas City, and Johnson County lies just southwest of Kansas City.
KDHE reports that the first cases linked to this outbreak were reported in January 2024. Two deaths have been reported so far with the outbreak. Both occurred last year.
A CDC spokesperson stated that the outbreak was among the largest, but not the biggest, in the history of the United States.
According to the CDC which has sent a team of experts to assist with the outbreak, the outbreaks in 2015 at a homeless shelter, and in 2021 involving contaminated bone graft surgeries were more serious.
Kansas health officials say that the risk to residents of the surrounding counties as well as the general public in Kansas is “very low” and that they are following the CDC’s guidelines.
According to the CDC, TB is a condition caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The federal health agency states that it is one of the most deadly infectious diseases in the world.
The air is a medium for spreading TB from one person to another. When a person who has TB coughs or speaks, the germs can be expelled into the air. They can linger in the air for several hours before they are inhaled by another person.
According to the CDC, signs and symptoms can include a persistent cough lasting three weeks or more, bloody or phlegm-like sputum, chest pains, weakness, fatigue, and weight loss.
Some people are infected by TB germs which live for many years in their body without causing any illness. Inactive TB is also known as latent TB.
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The CDC states that people with inactive TB don’t feel ill and do not show any symptoms. They also cannot transmit germs to others. Those with inactive TB may develop active TB without treatment.
According to CDC statistics, there were more than 8,700 TB cases in the U.S. last year. Although TB has been declining steadily since the mid-1990s, rates have increased in 2021 and 2022, with 2023 reaching the pre-pandemic level.
Treatment for TB can last from four to nine months, depending on how it is administered. Patients with diabetes or HIV may require a specific treatment regimen.
The CDC states that a vaccine called Bacille Calmette-Guerin is often given to children who live in areas where TB is prevalent. However, it is not generally recommended in the U.S. because of the low risk for infection, the variable effectiveness of the vaccine among adults, and its potential interference with TB testing. BCG often leaves a mark on the area where the vaccine was administered.
