Kansas Reports Largest Tuberculosis Outbreak in U.S. History

Kansas health officials are fighting the largest tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in U.S. history, with 67 confirmed cases since new year began.

The outbreak includes 60 active cases in Wyandotte County and seven in Johnson County, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). That's the most since the 1950s, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began monitoring and reporting TB cases.

Health officials are testing and treating affected individuals.

 "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," KDHE spokeswoman Jill Bronaugh told the University of Minnesota's CIDRAP News in an email. "This outbreak is still ongoing, which means that there could be more cases." 

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