Kansas Battles TB Outbreak, CDC Disputes Record Claims

story
Above: A medical worker shows an x-ray result during a tuberculosis screening at a health center in Valenzuela, Philippines, on March 14, 2024. Image copyright: Jam Sta Rosa/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Kansas is experiencing a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak centered in Wyandotte County, with 67 active cases and 79 latent cases reported since the beginning of last year, making it the state's largest TB outbreak since the 1950s.

  • The Kansas Department of Health and Environment initially claimed it was the largest documented outbreak since the 1950s, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) later clarified that a 2015-2017 outbreak had a higher number of cases, with 170 active and 400 latent infections, while 113 cases were reported in 2021.

  • Two deaths were reported in connection with the outbreak in 2024, and while cases are primarily concentrated in Wyandotte County (60 cases) and Johnson County (7 cases), health officials emphasized that the risk to the general public remains very low.

Show more

The Spin

Narrative A

While reports of tuberculosis are always unsettling, local and federal authorities have it under control. Not only have health officials stated that the public risk remains "very low," but those who unfortunately contract the illness will be able to receive treatment with antibiotics.

Forbes

Narrative B

While immediate attention should be focused on state- and national-level prevention, detection, and treatment, immigration cannot be left out of the equation. Immigrants, especially those coming from developing nations, must be screened for such diseases before they enter to ensure their health and the health of the existing American population.

NCBI

Metaculus Prediction