Victorian disease outbreak is ‘largest in US history’ as officials warn of more cases to come & treatment takes 9 months ...Middle East

AMERICA is undergoing the largest outbreak of tuberculosis in history, health officials have confirmed.

A common disease in the Old West and Victorian eras, tuberculosis once accounted for about one in seven deaths throughout the 1800s, and it’s spreading again.

The cases are concentrated in northeastern Kansas, with 67 confirmed cases and 79 latent cases since last year, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

The majority of tuberculosis cases have been concentrated in Wyandotte County, with minimal risk to the general public, including neighboring areas, officials said.

As of January 24, there were 60 active cases in Wyandotte County and 7 active cases in Johnson County, the Kansas Division of Public Health said.

There have been another 2 latent cases in Johnson County and 77 cases in Wyandotte County, on the Missouri border.

“Currently, Kansas has the largest outbreak in its history,” Ashley Goss, a deputy secretary at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, told the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee.

KDHE spokesperson Jill Bronaugh told the Topeka Capital-Journal that the outbreak is still ongoing, and there could be more cases.

“This is mainly due to the rapid increase in cases over a short period of time,” Bronaugh said.

“There are a few other states that currently have large outbreaks that are also ongoing.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been tracking tuberculosis cases across the US since the 1950s.

In 2023, the United States reported 9,633 cases of TB.

According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium that primarily affects the lungs.

It spreads person-to-person through the air when someone with active TB coughs, speaks or sings.

There are two types of tuberculosis: active TB disease, which causes illness and can spread to others, and latent TB infection, which is inactive, doesn’t cause symptoms, and can’t be transmitted.

TB is treatable with antibiotics.

The tuberculosis symptoms to watch out for

TB is a potentially serious condition, but it can be cured if it's treated with the right antibiotics.

It normally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body, including the bones, brain, lymph glands, kidneys, spine, skin, and stomach.      

If you have TB in your lungs, the most common symptoms are:    

If you have TB in other parts of your body, you may have symptoms such as:  

Source: Asthma and Lung UK

Shortly after beginning treatment, a person with active TB will no longer be infectious.

According to KDHE’s reportable infectious disease statistics, Kansas saw an increase in active tuberculosis cases, with 51 reported in 2023, rising to 109 in 2024.

So far in 2025, there has been one active case.

“Some of you are aware, we have and still have mobilized staff and resources addressing an unprecedented tuberculosis outbreak in one of our counties,” Goss told lawmakers.

“We are working collaboratively with CDC on that. CDC remains on the ground with us to support. That’s not a negative.”

Health officials highlighted that it is standard practice for federal resources to be deployed in response to large or unprecedented outbreaks to help contain and manage the situation.

They also reassured the public that the situation is improving and that they are “trending in the right direction.”

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Victorian disease outbreak is ‘largest in US history’ as officials warn of more cases to come & treatment takes 9 months )

Also on site :

• NYT Connections Sports Edition Today: Hints and Answers for June 7
• Drought, rising prices and dwindling herds undercut this year's Eid al-Adha in North Africa
• Ukrainian recruitment officer killed in suspected car bombing – media