Two dead, dozens sickened in Kansas tuberculosis outbreak
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A wave of tuberculosis cases hitting the Kansas City, Kansas, metro area has caused dozens of illnesses and at least two deaths, according to the state health department.
Cases related to the outbreak were first reported in January 2024, and there were two reported TB deaths last year associated with this outbreak, Jill Bronaugh, a spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said Tuesday.
“This outbreak is still ongoing, which means that there could be more cases,” Bronaugh said in an email. “We are working with and following the guidance of the CDC.”
As of Friday, there have been at least 67 people treated for confirmed active TB infections in the outbreak, and there have been 79 confirmed latent cases, in which TB is detected in the body but it’s not causing disease and making people sick.
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.
“TB is an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs and is caused by a type of bacteria. It spreads through the air when infected people cough, speak, or sing,” Bronaugh said. “While there is a very low risk of infection to the general public in these communities, KDHE is working to ensure that patients are receiving appropriate treatment, which will limit the ability to spread this disease and prevent additional cases from occurring.”
The state health department has not said what caused the outbreak. Affected local health departments are working with each patient to identify possible close contacts and conduct TB testing at no cost, according to the state agency’s website.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that four of its staffers are on-site to help with the response to the outbreak, 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, “which will help determine the best treatment,” according to the state health department. The disease is curable and often treated with a standardized course of drugs that usually includes antibiotics.
