Tuberculosis outbreak that has killed 2 in Kansas grows

Tuberculosis cases linked to an ongoing outbreak in the Kansas City area continue to climb. The outbreak, which began a year ago, killed two people in 2024.

The number of tuberculosis cases linked to an outbreak in the Kansas City area continues to swell, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The outbreak, which began a year ago, killed two people in 2024, Jill Bronaugh, the health department's communications director, said in an update Tuesday. As of Friday, at least 67 patients were being treated for active tuberculosis in Kansas.

All but seven of those cases were in Wyandotte County, where Kansas City is, while the others were in neighboring Johnson County. Across the two counties, the health department has also confirmed 79 inactive tuberculosis infections, meaning the host isn’t contagious and doesn’t have symptoms. If left untreated, around 5% to 10% of inactive cases develop into active disease.

Last year, the health department reported over 70 active and more than 200 inactive tuberculosis cases, though Bronaugh said the “case counts are still provisional, as they will be reviewed and confirmed officially by the CDC near the end of March.”

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, director of infection prevention and control for the University of Kansas Health System, said he usually sees "a handful of cases of active tuberculosis," every year, but this outbreak has been differentiated by "the scope and the numbers."

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/tuberculosis-outbreak-kansas-rcna189637

---