TB outbreak: Kansas health officials report 67 cases since the beginning of January

Health officials in Kansas have reported a tuberculosis outbreak in the northeastern part of the state, with 67 cases since the beginning of January.

So far, officials have reported 60 active cases in Wyandotte County and 7 active cases in Johnson County, according to data from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Since 2024, there have been 2 latent cases in Johnson County and 77 cases in Wyandotte County, which sits at the Missouri border.

The numbers mark the largest tuberculosis outbreak in recorded history in the U.S., according to the Topeka Capital-Journal, part of the USA TODAY network.

The outbreak poses “very low risk to the general public, including the surrounding counties,” officials said in the announcement. Local health departments are working with patients to identify close contacts and conduct free testing, regardless of insurance status.

Tuberculosis, also known as TB, is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two TB-related conditions exist: inactive TB and active TB.

Kansas health officials said patients who test positive will be screened to see if they have active TB disease or latent TB infection. Doctors can then choose the best treatment for each patient, health officials said.