Tuberculosis (TB), a bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs, has long been considered rare in the U.S.
Recently, the Kansas City metro area reported a spike in TB, prompting several VERIFY readers, including Sharon, to ask if there is an outbreak in Kansas.
THE QUESTION
Is there a tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, there is a tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas.
WHAT WE FOUND
The current tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in the Kansas City metro area is the largest documented outbreak in U.S. history, Jill Bronaugh, spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, told VERIFY. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began monitoring TB cases in the U.S. in the 1950s.
As of Jan. 24, 2025, there are 67 individuals, including 60 in Wyandotte County and seven in Johnson County, currently being treated for confirmed active TB related to this outbreak. There are 79 confirmed latent TB cases, which include 77 in Wyandotte County and two in Johnson County, Bronaugh confirmed. Two people have died.
Active TB is symptomatic and can spread to others, while latent TB is asymptomatic and not contagious.
Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria called mycobacterium tuberculosis, which primarily attacks the lungs but can affect other parts of the body. It spreads through the air when someone with active TB in their lungs coughs, sneezes, speaks, or even laughs, releasing tiny droplets containing the bacteria that others can inhale.
Common symptoms of active tuberculosis disease include cough, chest pain, and coughing up blood, the CDC says. Both active and latent TB can be treated with different regimens, depending on the severity of the case. Even though people with latent TB don’t experience symptoms and can’t spread the infection, if there is suspicion of exposure, they should get tested because inactive TB can become active if untreated.
Last year, there were more than 8,700 cases of TB reported in the U.S., according to CDC data. Data show reported cases have been declining since the early 1990s but started climbing again in 2021.
There is a vaccine for tuberculosis called the Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine, or BCG, but it is not commonly administered in the U.S. because TB is rare in this country and the vaccine is also less effective than treatment regimens, the CDC says.