A yearlong outbreak of the bacterial disease in the Kansas City metropolitan area has raised concerns about spread locally and nationally.
Health officials have said the risk to the public is low from the current tuberculosis, or TB, outbreak among dozens of people in eastern Kansas. However, most people should worry about respiratory viruses that tend to peak at this time of year, said Ginny Boos, director of infection prevention at Saint Luke’s Health System, in Kansas City
Just because people attended the Chiefs AFC championship win or another crowded event, Boos told USA TODAY, “that doesn’t mean that you are now suddenly at risk for having TB. That is just not likely the case at all.”
But if you sat next to someone in the nosebleeds of Arrowhead Stadium who was coughing and, say, had the flu, Boos added, “you have a pretty good chance of maybe getting that.”
People who are immunocompromised or have chronic diseases and are exposed to people with active tuberculosis should take precautions, she said. Those with underlying health issues have a higher risk of contracting tuberculosis and developing serious illness.
As of Friday, 67 people, in eastern Kansas, are being treated for active tuberculosis, and 79 people have latent cases of disease, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The outbreak is concentrated in two counties in the Kansas City metropolitan area and was first reported in January 2024. Two people have died in the outbreak.
In a statement, health department spokesperson Jill Bronaugh said the ongoing outbreak is the largest in recent history, and there could be more cases.
