A Wave of Tuberculosis Cases Hits Kansas City Metro Area, Causes Dozens of Illnesses and Two Deaths
A outbreak of tuberculosis has hit the Kansas City, Kansas, metro area, causing at least 67 people to be treated for confirmed active TB infections and 79 confirmed latent cases. The outbreak was first reported in January 2024, and two TB-related deaths occurred last year. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is working with the CDC to contain the outbreak.
TB germs are spread from person to person through prolonged contact with someone who has an active infection. People with latent infections cannot spread TB bacteria to others, but if the bacteria becomes active, latent infection can develop into TB disease.
The state health department has not identified the cause of the outbreak, but local health departments are working with patients to identify close contacts and conduct TB testing at no cost. The CDC has sent four staff members to assist with the response, including contact tracing, testing, and screening.
People who test positive will be further screened to determine whether they have active TB disease or a latent TB infection, and will receive treatment through their local health department, which will be provided for free if the person is uninsured or the treatment is not covered by health insurance.
Nationally, tuberculosis case counts in the United States increased in 2023 among all age groups and in most reporting jurisdictions. According to the World Health Organization, each year about 10 million people around the world fall ill with the disease, and about 1.5 million people die, making it the world’s top infectious killer. TB can be prevented with protocols such as vaccination and making sure people who are infected finish their course of treatment.
