Kansas is grappling with its largest documented tuberculosis (TB) outbreak ever recorded, prompting public health concerns. With over 60 active cases reported across Wyandotte and Johnson counties, the outbreak has highlighted the importance of awareness and prevention strategies.
Kansas is facing its largest documented tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in U.S. history, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). With over 60 reported cases across Wyandotte and Johnson counties, the outbreak has raised concerns about the spread of this potentially serious respiratory illness. Most of the cases, 60 active cases since 2024, have been reported in Wyandotte County, which borders Missouri.
Johnson County, also bordering Missouri, has recorded seven active cases since 2024. The KDHE emphasizes that these are active cases, meaning individuals have TB disease and can transmit the bacteria to others. In addition to active cases, the notice also reported 2024 cases of latent TB infection, where people carry the bacteria but do not have active TB disease and are not contagious.Jill Bronaugh, communications director at the KDHE, called the ongoing outbreak 'the largest documented outbreak in U.S. history presently,' since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began tracking and reporting TB cases in the 1950s. The CDC defines TB as a contagious bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs but can also impact other parts of the body. TB spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, speaks, or sings. The bacteria can remain airborne for several hours, posing a risk to those in close proximity. Prolonged contact with an infected individual in poorly ventilated indoor spaces increases the likelihood of transmission. The CDC warns that individuals living or having lived in congregate settings like homeless shelters, prisons, or nursing homes are at a higher risk of TB exposure. Additionally, people with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to developing active TB disease once infected. The CDC emphasizes that TB is not spread through casual contact like kissing, shaking hands, sharing meals, or touching objects.While not everyone with TB experiences symptoms, the CDC notes that most individuals with active TB disease will exhibit one or more symptoms. Pulmonary TB, which primarily affects the lungs, can manifest as a persistent cough lasting three weeks or longer, coughing up blood, chest pain, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, or fever. Extrapulmonary TB, affecting organs beyond the lungs, may cause symptoms such as back pain, blood in the urine, headaches, or confusion.The CDC states that the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, while effective in preventing severe forms of childhood TB, is not routinely recommended in the United States due to the low risk of infection and its variable effectiveness against adult pulmonary TB. The vaccine is primarily considered for individuals meeting specific criteria and in consultation with a TB expert. Even vaccinated individuals can contract TB.
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