Kansas tuberculosis outbreak is now America's largest in recorded history

bnew

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Kansas tuberculosis outbreak is now America's largest in recorded history​


Jason Alatidd

Topeka Capital-Journal

The history of Waverly Hills, from tuberculosis treatment center to haunted attraction"

A brief description: "Explore the rich history of Waverly Hills Sanatorium, from its early days as a tuberculosis treatment center to its current status as one of America's most haunted locations."

An ongoing tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas has become the largest in recorded history in the United States.

"Currently, Kansas has the largest outbreak that they've ever had in history," Ashley Goss, a deputy secretary at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, told the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee on Tuesday.

As of Jan. 17, public health officials reported that they had documented 66 active cases and 79 latent infections in the Kansas City, Kansas, metro area since 2024. Most of the cases have been in Wyandotte County, with a handful in Johnson County.

Wyandotte and Johnson counties have had a tuberculosis outbreak that has become the largest documented outbreak in American history.


Jill Bronaugh, a KDHE spokesperson, confirmed Goss's statement afterward.

"The current KCK Metro TB outbreak is the largest documented outbreak in U.S. history, presently," Bronaugh said in a statement to The Capital-Journal. "This is mainly due to the rapid number of cases in the short amount of time. This outbreak is still ongoing, which means that there could be more cases. There are a few other states that currently have large outbreaks that are also ongoing."

She noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started monitoring and reporting tuberculosis cases in the U.S. in the 1950s.

Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium that typically affects the lungs, according to KDHE. People with an active infection feel sick and can spread it to others, while people with a latent infection don't feel sick and can't spread it. Tuberculosis is spread person-to-person through the air when a person with an active infection coughs, speaks or sings. It is treatable with antibiotics.

State public health officials say there is "very low risk to the general public."

KDHE reportable infectious disease statistics show that statewide there were 51 active cases in 2023. That jumped to 109 in 2024. There has been one so far in 2025.

"Some of you are aware, we have and still have mobilized staff and resources addressing an unprecedented tuberculosis outbreak in one of our counties," Goss told lawmakers. "We are working collaboratively with CDC on that. CDC remains on the ground with us to support. That's not a negative. This is normal when there's something unprecedented or a large outbreak of any kind, they will come and lend resources to us to help get a stop to that. We are trending in the right direction right now."

Goss said that when KDHE got involved with the Kansas City outbreak last summer, there were 65 active cases and roughly the same number of latent cases. She said the number is now down to about 32 active cases.

For active patients, after 10 days of taking medications and having three sputum tests, they will generally no longer be able to transmit tuberculosis.

"They're no longer contagious," Goss said. "They can go about their lives, they don't have to stay away from people, and they can go back to work, do the things, as long as they continue to take their meds."

The course of treatment is several months long for active and latent cases.

"We still have a couple of fairly large employers that are involved that we're working with on this," Goss said. "So we do expect to find more, but we're hoping the more that we find is latent TB not active, so that their lives are not disrupted and having to stay home from work. Because it is highly contagious."

(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X
@Jason_Alatidd.
 

Mike Nasty

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I’m willing to bet it’s mostly children with anti vax parents.

We don't use the Tuberculosis vaccine in the US.

AI Overview
Learn more

The tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), is not commonly used in the United States. This is due to a number of reasons, including the low risk of TB infection in the US and the vaccine's potential to cause false-positive TB skin test results.
 

bnew

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1/11
@thejackhopkins
And you haven’t heard about this because Trump has banned ALL external communication from the CDC, FDA, and others. They can no longer notify the public about any health crisis.
Kansas tuberculosis outbreak is now America's largest in recorded history



2/11
@LakotaMan1
I’m a healthcare worker. When I see people dropping like flies because of the next Trump mismanaged pandemic — I’m going to fukking tell everyone.



3/11
@luke_amott
That is a very dangerous and stupid move



4/11
@GG_MacM13420
We are going to need to monitor our local news for any reports on health emergencies and share from state to state.



5/11
@anguillaman2
The Republican Party is the pro pandemic party



6/11
@csd
There’s ways around it. CDC After Dark.



7/11
@SMH3770




GiNN-QSWkAAwJVw.jpg


8/11
@SherVil1025
TB in a community with illegal immigrants. Go figure. Thanks Biden



9/11
@WinsomeWifeWest
Good bcz they have lied all along about the cause of most health problems, never taught anyone how to prevent T2 diabetes (caused by a very low fat diet of too much carbohydrates & seed/veg oil has been proven to cause diabetes if the carbs hasn't yet, or even T1 diabetes which can be caused by vaccines which the CDC admits on their website or pubmed.). Most of the comorbidities of COVID-19 or The Flu are in fact caused by malnutrition. There was a much higher rate of survival of Smallpox among very well fed people. I suspect Native Americans may have been deficient in vitamin D needed for best immune function, or other deficiencies, and too much carbohydrates in their diet not enough natural fats. There are essential fatty acids & essential amino acids. There are no essential carbohydrates or fiber.



10/11
@taleosmith
Garbage post! Keep fighting losers!



11/11
@Angneedshelp
Aren’t you notifying us now?!?




To post tweets in this format, more info here: https://www.thecoli.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-for-posting-the-coli-megathread.984734/post-52211196
 

Nero Christ

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1/11
@thejackhopkins
And you haven’t heard about this because Trump has banned ALL external communication from the CDC, FDA, and others. They can no longer notify the public about any health crisis.
Kansas tuberculosis outbreak is now America's largest in recorded history



2/11
@LakotaMan1
I’m a healthcare worker. When I see people dropping like flies because of the next Trump mismanaged pandemic — I’m going to fukking tell everyone.



3/11
@luke_amott
That is a very dangerous and stupid move



4/11
@GG_MacM13420
We are going to need to monitor our local news for any reports on health emergencies and share from state to state.



5/11
@anguillaman2
The Republican Party is the pro pandemic party



6/11
@csd
There’s ways around it. CDC After Dark.



7/11
@SMH3770




GiNN-QSWkAAwJVw.jpg


8/11
@SherVil1025
TB in a community with illegal immigrants. Go figure. Thanks Biden



9/11
@WinsomeWifeWest
Good bcz they have lied all along about the cause of most health problems, never taught anyone how to prevent T2 diabetes (caused by a very low fat diet of too much carbohydrates & seed/veg oil has been proven to cause diabetes if the carbs hasn't yet, or even T1 diabetes which can be caused by vaccines which the CDC admits on their website or pubmed.). Most of the comorbidities of COVID-19 or The Flu are in fact caused by malnutrition. There was a much higher rate of survival of Smallpox among very well fed people. I suspect Native Americans may have been deficient in vitamin D needed for best immune function, or other deficiencies, and too much carbohydrates in their diet not enough natural fats. There are essential fatty acids & essential amino acids. There are no essential carbohydrates or fiber.



10/11
@taleosmith
Garbage post! Keep fighting losers!



11/11
@Angneedshelp
Aren’t you notifying us now?!?




To post tweets in this format, more info here: https://www.thecoli.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-for-posting-the-coli-megathread.984734/post-52211196


How can anyone look at this and say Trump isn't a Russian asset looking to destroy American from within...this is so blatant
 
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