KC area at ‘extremely low risk’ of tuberculosis despite outbreak, doctor says. Here’s why
Kansas health officials said Wyandotte and Johnson counties are experiencing one of the largest outbreaks of tuberculosis in the United States. How much danger is there for Kansas City area residents?
In 2024, Wyandotte and Johnson Counties had a total of 79 active tuberculosis cases, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Two people died of the airborne illness in the Kansas City area.
Public health officials have known about the outbreak since early 2024.
Here is what you should know about tuberculosis in the Kansas City area, from Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Kansas Health System.
Should I be worried?
Hawkinson said that tuberculosis does not need to be top of mind or urgent to the general public.
“The vast majority of the general public in the Kansas City area is not at risk, or is at extremely low risk.”
The number of tuberculosis cases in Kansas is declining after a peak in July and August 2024.
“We do believe we are nearing an end of this outbreak,” Hawkinson said.
Illnesses like COVID, RSV and flu are more likely than tuberculosis to affect the general population, Hawkinson said.
How big is the Kansas outbreak?
In the first month of 2025, there has been one active case of tuberculosis reported in the state of Kansas.
In 2024, there were 65 active tuberculosis cases in Wyandotte County and 14 in Johnson County, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s infectious disease dashboard. This is a sharp increase from 2023, when 11 cases were diagnosed in each of the counties. This means they were contagious and had symptoms.
In addition, there were a total of 213 inactive cases in the two counties. While these individuals are not contagious or symptomatic, they could become contagious or have symptoms at any time.
It is unclear if Missouri tuberculosis cases have increased, since state data does not include 2024 cases.
Who was affected in Kansas?
Hawkinson said the disease passed from person to person in the Kansas City area.
The Kansas City area accounted for over 70% of Kansas’ 109 active tuberculosis cases in 2024.
Out of those 109 cases statewide, people between the ages of 25 and 44 accounted for the most cases. In addition, eight children aged 4 and under were infected.
What is tuberculosis?
Also known as TB, tuberculosis is a contagious illness that can be fatal if left untreated.
The airborne bacteria is usually transmitted when you’re around an infected person for an extended period of time. The disease can’t be spread by contact with someone’s clothing, drinking glass, eating utensils, handshake, toilet or other surfaces they touched.
At the turn of the 20th century, tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association. However, because of medical advances, the TB is nowhere near as deadly as it used to be.
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated nine million people get TB every year and 1.25 million people died in 2023 after contracting it.
Now, 95% of cases occur in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, WHO reports.
Is there a vaccine or treatment?
There are both vaccines and treatments for TB.
There is a tuberculosis vaccine available in the United States, but it’s not widely used or recommended, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The disease is treated with a series of antibiotics for at least four months. After two weeks on the medication, the individual is no longer contagious.
What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?
Common symptoms of active tuberculosis include:
Coughing
Chest pains
Fever
Fatigue
Coughing up blood or phlegm
People who test positive will receive more free testing to figure out if their infection is active or latent. Their local health departments will then work with them to identify any close contacts.
What should I do if I think I have TB?
Kansans who believe they may have been infected are asked to call the KDHE hotline at 877-427-7317.
The Star’s Matthew Kelly and Joseph Hernandez contributed to this report.
Have more questions about illnesses in the Kansas City area? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
