Kansas sees 'largest' tuberculosis outbreak in US history, nearly 70 ...

Kansas health officials are responding to a tuberculosis outbreak in the Kansas City metro area, with more than 60 reported cases across two counties, a notice from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said.

According to the KDHE, most of the tuberculosis (TB) cases were reported in Wyandotte County on the border of Kansas and Missouri, with 60 "active cases" reported since 2024. Nearby Johnson County, also along the border of Missouri, has seen seven active cases since 2024, the notice said.

Additionally, 79 latent infections -- people infected with TB bacteria, but do not have TB disease and cannot spread it to others -- were reported across Wyandotte and Johnson counties in 2024, the notice said.

According to officials, two TB deaths in 2024 have been associated with the outbreak.

In an email to NBC Chicago, Jill Bronaugh, communications cirector at the KDHE, described the ongoing outbreak as the "largest documented outbreak in U.S history presently," since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started monitoring and reporting TB cases in the 1950s.

According to health officials, there is "very low risk to the general public."

What is tuberculosis and how does it spread?

Tuberculosis, or TB, is caused by a bacterium that usually affects the lungs, but can affect other parts of the body, the KDHE said. According to the CDC, its one of the leading causes of death due to infectious diseases in the world.

Tuberculosis spreads through the air when a person with active TB disease coughs, speaks or sings, the KDHE said. "Prolonged contact is how it spreads from person-to-person," KDHE added.

According to health experts, TB is not spread by kissing, shaking hands, sharing food or by touching objects like bed linens or toilet seats.

People who currently live or used to live in large group settings where TB is more common like homeless shelters, correctional facilities or nursing homes are at higher risk of exposure, the CDC said, and it is more likely to spread in indoor areas or places with poor air circulation. Additionally, people with lowered immune systems are at higher risk of developing TB disease once infected with TB bacteria.

The CDC estimates that up to 13 million people in the U.S. live with latest TB infection.

"More than 80% of TB disease cases in the United States result from longstanding, untreated latent TB infection," TB said. According to the World Health Organization, about half of all people with TB can be found in eight countries: Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines and South Africa.

Tuberculosis symptoms

According to the CDC, not everyone with TB has signs or symptoms. Still, most with TB disease have one or more symptoms, though they may vary depending on the part of the body affected.

The onset of TB disease is gradual, the CDC added, and symptoms may not interfere with daily activities.

Symptoms of pulmonary TB disease, the CDC said, including a cough lasting three weeks or longer, coughing up blood, chest pain, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, night sweats or fever.

Extrapulmonary TB disease, which affects organs in addition to or instead of the lungs, may cause other symptoms including back pain, blood in urine, headache or confusion.

Persons with latent TB infections do not have symptoms of the disease and cannot spread TB bacteria to others, the CDC said.

Is there a vaccine for TB?

The CDC states that the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is generally not recommended for use in the U.S. because of the low risk of infection and the variable effectiveness of the vaccine against adult pulmonary TB.

According to the CDC, the vaccine is only considered for people who "meet specific criteria and in consultation with a TB expert." The CDC goes on to say that a person can get TV even if they have received the vaccine.

"Many people born outside the United States have been vaccinated with BCG. It is given to infants and small children in countries where TB is common," the CDC said. "It protects children from getting severe forms of active TB disease, such as TB meningitis. The vaccine's protection weakens over time."

Multiple options are available for those infected with TB, the CDC stressed.

"Given adequate treatment, almost all patients will recover and be cured," the CDC said.