Jan 28, 2025
KANSAS (KSNT) - The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says Kansas is facing the largest documented tuberculosis outbreak in history. 27 News spoke to KDHE Communications Director Jill Bronaugh who said the agency is working with the Centers for Disease Control for guidance. As of Jan. 24, 2025, there are 67 people in Kansas with active cases of tuberculosis. Additionally, Bronaugh says there are 79 confirmed latent tuberculosis cases. The breakdown includes 60 in Wyandotte County and seven in Johnson County. "The current Kansas City, Kan. Metro tuberculosis (TB) outbreak is the largest documented outbreak in U.S. history, presently (since the 1950’s, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started monitoring and reporting TB cases)," Bronaugh wrote. "This outbreak is still ongoing, which means that there could be more cases." What are the rarest fish you can catch in Kansas and where can you find them? According to Bronaugh, in 2024 there were 79 active and 213 latent outbreak and non-outbreak tuberculosis cases. In 2023, the CDC recorded 46 active tuberculosis cases in Kansas. There were two reported deaths in 2024 associated with this outbreak, Bronaugh says. "TB is an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs and is caused by a type of bacteria," Bronaugh said. "It spreads through the air when infected people cough, speak, or sing. 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." Dr. Dana Hawkinson, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control with the University of Kansas Health System, says the risk is low and treatment is available. "Typically, it is four drugs for a few weeks, and then we go down to two drugs. Most of them are pills. People need to be treated for at least six months and sometimes longer,” Dr. Hawkinson shared. ‘It’s ridiculous’: Egg prices put strain on Topeka restaurants According to the CDC, not everyone infected with tuberculosis gets sick. The CDC says inactive cases can turn into active cases if untreated. The typical treatment plan is to use tuberculosis medicines to kill the germs. The CDC says tuberculosis germs are strong and can take a long time to die so it's important to follow healthcare provider guidance. For more information on how tuberculosis is treated, click here. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. ...read more read less
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