So what's the over/under for when we see more than a few more cases because of the Super Bowl?
Or will we? Here's hoping all those fuckin' anti-vax morons dodge the bullets.
Faculty at KU Medical Center are working with state and local health departments to contain the spread of the disease.
In January, Kansas made headlines across the country for experiencing the largest outbreak of tuberculosis in the United States since the country began tracking TB cases in the 1950s. Since then, that claim has been downgraded to the largest incidence of the disease over the span of one year.
But that doesn’t mean the TB outbreak hasn’t held the attention of public health officials in the two Kansas City-area counties, Wyandotte and Johnson, where the outbreak is located. Those include faculty at the University of Kansas Medical Center who are working with Kansas state and county health departments to identify those at risk, treat people infected and mitigate the spread of the disease.
The United States has an overall low incidence of TB. Why is Kansas experiencing this outbreak?
“I don’t think there’s necessarily anything unique about Kansas, any secret sauce, so to speak,” said Erin Corriveau, M.D., MPH, associate professor in the departments of Family Medicine and Community Health and Population Health at KU Medical Center. Corriveau also serves as medical director of the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment and was the deputy health officer and medical director of the TB division in Wyandotte County until July 2024.
An age-old disease once known as “consumption” because of the weight loss and apparent wasting-away of its victims, TB is caused by a bacteria that most often affects the lungs but can also infect other organs including the brain, skin, spine and kidneys. It is spread through the air when people with TB sneeze, cough or spit. Initial symptoms typically include cough, fever, weight loss and night sweats.
Corriveau cited social factors as potential facilitators of the outbreak in Kansas. “The area has industries and workplaces where people work in close proximity, as well as multigenerational large households,” she said. “And there are many people living with chronic conditions, which may not even be diagnosed, that make them more vulnerable to infectious diseases, including TB. And a lot of people don’t have access to care.” Access to care enables early detection and treatment that can prevent the disease from spreading.
As of February 7, 2025, there have been 67 active cases of TB associated with the outbreak, and 79 latent (inactive) infections diagnosed, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). People with latent infections do not have symptoms and are considered not contagious. But without treatment, their infections can develop into active TB weeks or even years after exposure.
No comments:
Post a Comment