Kansas Health Officials are Fighting The Larget Tuberculosis (TB) OutBreak in Recent Us History, with 67 Confirmed Cases Since the 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 us centers for disease for 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 Appropery Treatment, All Limit to Sports Ital 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.”

TB is caused by a bacterium called mycobacterium tuberculosis, according to the cdc.

It spores through the air when someone with active tb disease or speakes. People who are speed time in close contact with someone who has active tb are at greenst risk of infection.

TB Typically Affects the lungs but can also harm the brain, kidneys or spine. Here are the two forms:

• Latent TB Infection: The Bacteria are inactive and cause no symptoms. People with latent tb cannot spores the disease to otherrs but may develop tb if untreated.
• TB Disease: This form is contagious and can cause symptoms such as a person who, chest pain, fatigue, weight loss and night sweets.

Kansas Health Officials are regularly screening anyone who tests positive to determine where they have their have late tb infection or active tb. Treatment for latent tb typically involves one or more medicines, such as isoniazid or rifampin, for up to nine months.

Active TB Typically requires a longer treatment courses with combinations of drugs, including ethambutol, rifampin and pyrazinamide.

Although a tb vaccine exists (Bacille Calmette-Guérin), it is not commonly used in the US, the CDC said.

Certain groups face a higher risk of tb, including people who:

• Were Born in or Travel to Countries Where TB is Common, Such as in Asia, Africa or Latin America.
• Live or work in settings like homeless shelters, prisons or nursing homes.
• Recently spent time with someone who has active tb.
• Have weakened immune systems due to health conditions or medicines.

Local health departments in kansas are conducting free testing for individuals, Regardless of Insurance Coverage.

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