Kansas Faces One of Largest Tuberculosis Outbreaks in Decades

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Kansas is grappling with a significant tuberculosis (TB) outbreak, reporting 67 active cases across two counties since January 2024, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. This number is notably higher than the average annual cases for the entire state. Health experts have expressed concerns that reduced public health powers may hinder response efforts, citing a weakened infrastructure as a contributing factor to the outbreak’s severity.

David Dowdy, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, called TB outbreaks indicative of broader public health issues and stated, "It's one of the largest outbreaks of tuberculosis that we've seen in the country in the past 30, 40, 50 years." Additionally, state officials are currently monitoring 384 individuals undergoing testing and treatment.

Jill Bronaugh, communications director for the health department, noted that efforts are underway to educate schools and businesses on preventing TB spread. The outbreak raises alarms as recent legislative actions, which limit public health mandates, could compromise future responses to infectious diseases.

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