Tuberculosis toll in Kansas City, Kansas, area rises to nearly 70 active cases – Kansas Reflector
The government photo shows positive results of a skin test for tuberculosis. (CDC)An outbreak of tuberculosis has been lingering in Kansas City, Kansas, since March 2024. But what used to be fewer than 50 cases is now almost 70. Although this is not the largest outbreak of tuberculosis in U.S. history, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the increase in cases has still caused alarm in the Kansas City area.As of Jan. 24, there are 67 active cases of TB and 79 latent cases. With 60 active cases in Wyandotte County, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County released a statement on Jan. 28. “We encourage residents to remain calm regarding recent media coverage on tuberculosis in Kansas,” the release said. “While we are always concerned about the health and well-being of every community member, the Kansas Department of Health Environment assures the public the relative risk to the public is low.”The release goes on to say KDHE is following guidance from the CDC to combat the increase in cases as well as information on symptoms and treatment.In August, doctors urged citizens that the 49 patients diagnosed with active TB at the time were no cause for panic. But now, with KDHE saying it is managing 384 individuals who are at “various different stages of TB testing, diagnostics, and treatment”, the public could become wary of the situation worsening.The concern goes beyond Kansas. Online creators such as John Green have posted about the outbreak in Kansas to their platforms regardless, if they live near the Kansas City area. “It’s worrying for sure,” Green said in his video. “TB anywhere is a threat to people everywhere. It’s important to remember two facts, one, that TB is curable and preventable. But should you be freaked out about TB? Absolutely. Allowing a preventable disease to sicken 10 million a year… microbes do not know political borders.”Doctors want the public to remember that the general risk is low but there are always ways to keep yourself healthy. “No matter if it’s influenza or COVID or tuberculosis, avoid people that are sick and coughing and sneezing, wash your hands,” said former KDHE health secretary Lee Norman. “I think that the general concern to the public should be low, but people should be vigilant.”Norman emphasized that the outbreak of TB cases goes beyond individual cases. “What tuberculosis management requires is basic groundwork field work for public health, meaning to get out there, figure out where the case is coming from, who have people been exposed to,” Norman said. “What it requires is good funding for public health.”With a disease like TB, Norman says the focus on public health funding is more important than ever.“We cannot blink on public health funding,” Norman said. “We have to really rethink that because there’s no public health concern that ever goes away. It just goes underground for a while. But then if you decrease the funding for it, you better really rethink that because it’s going to come back.”KDHE intends to help efforts of monitoring symptoms while “taking comprehensive steps to address the situation.” A spokesperson added that they are working closely with schools and businesses to manage close contacts with those infected.by Maya Smith, Kansas Reflector January 31, 2025by Maya Smith, Kansas Reflector January 31, 2025An outbreak of tuberculosis has been lingering in Kansas City, Kansas, since March 2024. But what used to be fewer than 50 cases is now almost 70. Although this is not the largest outbreak of tuberculosis in U.S. history, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the increase in cases has still caused alarm in the Kansas City area.As of Jan. 24, there are 67 active cases of TB and 79 latent cases. With 60 active cases in Wyandotte County, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County released a statement on Jan. 28. “We encourage residents to remain calm regarding recent media coverage on tuberculosis in Kansas,” the release said. “While we are always concerned about the health and well-being of every community member, the Kansas Department of Health Environment assures the public the relative risk to the public is low.”The release goes on to say KDHE is following guidance from the CDC to combat the increase in cases as well as information on symptoms and treatment.In August, doctors urged citizens that the 49 patients diagnosed with active TB at the time were no cause for panic. But now, with KDHE saying it is managing 384 individuals who are at “various different stages of TB testing, diagnostics, and treatment”, the public could become wary of the situation worsening.The concern goes beyond Kansas. Online creators such as John Green have posted about the outbreak in Kansas to their platforms regardless, if they live near the Kansas City area. “It’s worrying for sure,” Green said in his video. “TB anywhere is a threat to people everywhere. It’s important to remember two facts, one, that TB is curable and preventable. But should you be freaked out about TB? Absolutely. Allowing a preventable disease to sicken 10 million a year… microbes do not know political borders.”Doctors want the public to remember that the general risk is low but there are always ways to keep yourself healthy. “No matter if it’s influenza or COVID or tuberculosis, avoid people that are sick and coughing and sneezing, wash your hands,” said former KDHE health secretary Lee Norman. “I think that the general concern to the public should be low, but people should be vigilant.”Norman emphasized that the outbreak of TB cases goes beyond individual cases. “What tuberculosis management requires is basic groundwork field work for public health, meaning to get out there, figure out where the case is coming from, who have people been exposed to,” Norman said. “What it requires is good funding for public health.”With a disease like TB, Norman says the focus on public health funding is more important than ever.“We cannot blink on public health funding,” Norman said. “We have to really rethink that because there’s no public health concern that ever goes away. It just goes underground for a while. But then if you decrease the funding for it, you better really rethink that because it’s going to come back.”KDHE intends to help efforts of monitoring symptoms while “taking comprehensive steps to address the situation.” A spokesperson added that they are working closely with schools and businesses to manage close contacts with those infected.Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com.Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.Maya Smith is a freelance reporter for Kansas Reflector. She is a student at the University of Kansas School of Journalism. She is a graduate of Lawrence High School, where she was editor-in-chief of The Red and Black, as well as being named the 2024 Kansas Student Journalist of the Year.DEMOCRACY TOOLKIT© Kansas Reflector, 2025v1.71.0Kansas Reflector is a nonprofit news operation providing in-depth reporting, diverse opinions and daily coverage of state government and politics. This public service is free to readers and other news outlets. We’re part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. DEIJ Policy | Ethics Policy | Privacy PolicyOur stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. (See full republishing guidelines.)© Kansas Reflector, 2025
