KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Late Monday, public health officials say two people have died in connection to what they described as America's largest tuberculosis outbreak since monitoring began in the 1950s.
Kansas Department of Health and Environment spokesperson Jill Bronaugh said two people have died in connection to the outbreak.
Bronaugh said the deaths, connected with the outbreaks in Wyandotte and Johnson Counties, occurred in 2024.
Bronaugh did not give any further details about the deaths, including their ages and where they lived.
Tuberculosis is a bacteria that primarily affects the lungs, but can impact any organ in the body.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, Director of Infection Control and Prevention at the University of Kansas Health System, said the disease is airborne, which means a person can contract the illness if they're in the vicinity of an infected person who speaks, coughs or sings.
Watch Hawkinson's interview in the video player below.
Hawkinson said tuberculosis is not as easy to contract as other contagious diseases, such as COVID.
"It’s very difficult to treat as well," Hawkinson said. "Treatment consists of at least four drugs to start and then two drugs later on for at least six months or more sometimes."
Hawkinson said 90 percent or more of people infected with tuberculosis do not experience symptoms. For those who do, it can be severe.
"There are a lot of problems associated with the disease because it can affect any organ in your body," Hawkinson said.
If symptoms present, it's usually within the first two years following infection, according to Hawkinson.
Bronaugh said the outbreak is ongoing, with 67 active cases between Wyandotte and Johnson Counties.
"In an effort to provide efficient and quality care to those individuals affected by the outbreak, KDHE assumed responsibility for the coordination and distribution of testing, treatment and medical consultation in Wyandotte County," Bronaugh said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccine is not recommended for use in the United States due to low risk of infection with tuberculosis.
"Certainly it can be a scare for the community and people living in that community," Hawkinson said. "But we have had a very good public health infrastructure in the United States."
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