Race Day Live A tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas has become the largest recorded in U.S. history.
According to Ashley Goss, a deputy secretary at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), the outbreak has affected 66 active cases and 79 latent infections in the Kansas City metro area since 2024.
Most cases are concentrated in Wyandotte County, with some in Johnson County.
Jill Bronaugh, a KDHE spokesperson, confirmed that this is the largest tuberculosis outbreak ever documented in the U.S., mainly due to the rapid increase in cases over a short time.
She mentioned that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which began monitoring TB cases in the 1950s, is closely involved.
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria that usually infect the lungs. People with active TB feel sick and can spread the infection to others, while those with latent TB do not feel sick and cannot spread it.
The disease spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, speaks or sings. It can be treated with antibiotics.
Health officials say the risk to the general public is very low.
In 2023, Kansas reported 51 active TB cases statewide, which increased to 109 in 2024. So far, one case has been recorded in 2025.
Public health officials are working with the CDC to address the outbreak.
Goss explained that when KDHE got involved last summer, there were 65 active cases and a similar number of latent cases. Thanks to their efforts, the number of active cases has dropped to 32.
Patients with active TB stop being contagious after 10 days of medication and three negative sputum tests.
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They can then return to work and resume their normal activities. However, treatment for both active and latent cases lasts several months.
Goss added that some large employers are still involved, as they continue to identify new cases. The focus is now on finding latent TB cases, which are less disruptive to patients’ lives.
“This is a highly contagious respiratory disease,” she said. “But we are moving in the right direction.”
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