As of Friday, there have been 67 active TB cases since first reported in 2024, with 60 in Wyandotte County and seven in Johnson County, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Additionally, there are 79 confirmed latent TB cases, including 77 in Wyandotte County and two in Johnson County, which are both part of the Kansas City area.

KDHE communications director Jill Bronaugh also confirmed how the TB outbreak has reached record numbers in the U.S. in eight decades.

“The current Kansas City, Kan. Metro tuberculosis (TB) outbreak is the largest documented outbreak in U.S. history, presently (since the 1950s, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started monitoring and reporting TB cases),” Bronaugh told CIDRAP in an emailed statement. “This outbreak is still ongoing, which means that there could be more cases.”

Bronaugh continued, “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.”

What is tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In the United States, most TB cases in individuals are attributed to this specific bacterium, though other mycobacteria, like Mycobacterium bovis, can also lead to TB in people, according to the CDC.

There are two types of TB that can affect everyone:

• Inactive TB or latent TB infection is when people can have the germs related to the illness in their bodies without it making them sick.
• Active TB disease is when the germs become active in the immune system, leading them to multiply in the body and cause infected persons to become sick. It can also be highly contagious and even fatal if left without treatment.

How does TB spread?

TB is spread through the air from one person to another, according to the CDC. TB germs are released into the air when an individual with active TB in the lungs or throat coughs, speaks or sings.
These pathogens can linger in the air for hours, especially in poorly ventilated indoor spaces or enclosed areas like vehicles. Individuals who inhale the contaminated air are at risk of infection. People with active TB are most likely to spread the germs to those they interact with regularly.

The CDC estimates that up to 13 million people in the United States carry inactive TB. Without treatment, 1 in 10 individuals with inactive TB may develop active TB disease, which can be contagious and potentially fatal.

More than 9,633 TB cases were reported in the U.S. in 2023.

Prevention method

If someone is diagnosed with inactive TB, there are treatments available to prevent from getting sick with active TB disease, per CDC.

For inactive TB, Isoniazid, Rifampin and Rifapentine are ideal medications to use with a three-four month treatment plan.
Additionally, there are six-month and nine-month treatment plans for those who cannot do the previous one:

6H: Six months of isoniazid (H)
9H: Nine months of isoniazid (H)