2 dead, at least 146 infected as Kansas battles spreading tuberculosis outbreak
Jan. 28 (UPI) -- A tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas has killed two people and caused at least 146 to become infected with the potentially deadly respiratory disease during one of the largest outbreaks in the nation's history.
As of Friday, at least 67 cases of active TB were reported in Kansas, including 60 in Wyandotte County and seven in Johnson County, the Kansas Department of Public Health announced.
Wyandotte County includes Kansas City, which is the county seat, and areas west of Kansas City, while Johnson County is located directly south of and adjacent to Wyandotte County.
TB is a bacterium that usually affects the lungs but can affect other parts of the body and has two types -- active and inactive, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Active TB makes people feel sick and can spread to others, while inactive TB does not make people sick and does not spread to others.
TB generally spreads while airborne when an infected person coughs, speaks or sings, but it also can spread from one person to another through direct contact.
Antibiotics can treat TB and stop the active variety of the disease from becoming infectious soon after initiating antibiotics treatment.
The breakout began in 2024 and claimed two lives, Kansas Health Department communications director Jill Bronaugh announced Tuesday.
Bronaugh said at least 67 people in Kansas were undergoing treatment for active TB as of Friday, but those identified with inactive TB also are undergoing treatment.
Leaving inactive cases of TB untreated could cause between 5% and 10% to develop active TB.
University of Kansas Health System director of prevention and control Dr. Dana Hawkinson said it's common to see some TB cases every year but the current outbreak has greatly exceeded the normal numbers.
Most of the patients identified with TB during the current outbreak have not been especially ill, but some have serious symptoms.
The Kansas Health Department said the outbreak is the largest since the Centers for disease Control and Prevention started monitoring and tracking cases in the 1950s.
The CDC said that is false and cited a TB outbreak in Georgia homeless shelters that infected more than 170 with active TB and more than 400 with inactive TB from 2015 to 2017.
More recently, 113 people were afflicted nationally with active TB in 2021 due to exposure to a bone graft product that infected 113 people after undergoing surgery.
The World Health Organization in October announced more than 8 million people around the world were diagnosed with TB in 2023.
The disease killed 1.25 million, making it the world's deadliest disease after COVID-19 briefly was the deadliest during the global pandemic.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Journals
3 hours ago
- Business Journals
Employers: Use these guidelines to create benefits for the modern workforce
It's impossible to forget the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reshaped how we live and work, forcing companies to rapidly adapt to remote models and prioritize health and safety in new ways. The crisis made one thing clear for employers: Affordable, meaningful health care benefits are vital — not only for supporting employees but also for ensuring long-term business stability. In the post-pandemic workplace, high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) continue to present challenges, especially for hourly and lower-wage workers. Recruiting and retaining top talent now hinges on offering benefits that go beyond basic coverage — they must be affordable, accessible and relevant. Employers are shifting from cutting costs to investing in benefits that support the whole person. A new framework: Mind, body, money To meet the demands of today's workforce, I use a simple yet powerful framework to guide benefits strategy: Mind, body and money. These three pillars reflect the needs of employees and can help employers design plans that truly make a difference. 1. Mind: Prioritizing mental health Mental health challenges spiked during the pandemic, and they haven't gone away. Today, one in five adults report struggling with mental health, while nearly a third say they don't have a primary care provider (PCP), leading to overall poor well-being. Telehealth has provided a lifeline, but access to in-network mental health providers remains limited. The need for robust mental health support has never been greater, and addressing it must be a priority. 2. Body: Access and prevention Roughly a third of Americans lack a primary care provider (PCP), leading many to rely on urgent care instead. This not only drives up claim volume and employer costs but also increases the risk of chronic conditions going undetected. Consider this: nearly 40% of Americans are pre-diabetic, and managing diabetes can cost $8,000-$10,000 per person annually. For an employer with 50 employees, that could mean $200,000 in preventable expenses. It's critical to ensure employees have access to high-quality preventive care at a price they can afford. Prevention isn't just a health strategy — it's a financial one. 3. Money: Real incentives that work A recent survey by Imagine360 found that 25% of employees would accept a pay cut in exchange for better benefits. That's a powerful signal. But incentives must go beyond surface-level perks like gym memberships. Instead, they should encourage real engagement with health care — rewarding participation in preventive care, screenings and chronic condition management. At the same time, health care costs are climbing fast — especially when it comes to prescriptions. GLP-1 medications are up 200%-300% year over year, prompting employers to reassess pharmacy strategies. Real savings start with aligning incentives to promote smart utilization. The retirement factor Older employees are increasingly delaying retirement — not because they want to, but because they can't afford to stop working. 28% regularly find themselves out of money before payday arrives. 60% of full-time employees are stressed about finances. 56% of financially stressed employees spend three or more hours a week thinking about finances. Consultants must help employers address this early with smart retirement planning tools like 401(k) plans and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Financial wellness isn't a separate issue — it's deeply tied to mental and physical health. Supporting employees across all three areas helps ensure smoother, more cost-effective transitions into retirement. Implementing reference-based pricing, a sustainable cost strategy Reference-Based Pricing (RBP) has evolved significantly over the years. What was once viewed as a heavy lift for companies and employees is now gaining momentum as a sustainable solution to out-of-control health care costs, and a great experience for employees. Like HSAs, RBP has continued to garner more adoption — and it's delivering real results. With rising health care 'tariffs,' more employers are turning to RBP to regain control. For example, a nursing home with 800-900 employees implemented RBP and saw health care costs drop by 40%. Four years later, they've maintained those savings, and employees have embraced the model.* RBP is particularly effective for companies with high turnover or low plan engagement. It allows employers to lower deductibles and build a more budget-neutral benefits strategy. While switching any health plan carrier requires change management, the right consultants can guide the process and help ensure both employer and employee success. What consultants must do now It's time for consultants to step up. That means vetting vendors rigorously and recommending only those that align with the employer's core goals — whether it's improving retention, reducing costs or boosting care quality. Employees care deeply about their take-home pay and their health. If a benefit strategy isn't working for them, they'll leave. Strong benefits aren't nice to have — they're a competitive advantage and a critical part of your business strategy. Want to talk about building a smarter benefits strategy that works for your team and your budget? Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why has there been a global surge of new Covid variant NB.1.8.1?
India is the latest country to report a surge in new Covid cases, as the latest variant, NB.1.8.1, spreads across the globe. Cases have now been reported in Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and China, while the UK Health Security Agency recorded the first 13 cases in England last week. But the true numbers are unlikely to be known, given the significant decrease in the number of people testing compared to the figures seen during the global pandemic five years ago. NB.1.8.1 stemmed from the Omicron variant and was first detected in January this year. It has quickly spread across China and Hong Kong, and has now been recorded in several states across the United States and Australia. By late April, NB.1.8.1 comprised about 10.7 per cent of submitted sequences globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This rose from just 2.5 per cent a month before. The WHO declared the NB.1.8.1 strain a 'variant under monitoring' on 23 May, which means scientists believe it could potentially affect the behaviour of the virus. Lara Herrero, a virologist from Griffith University in Australia, suspects that NB.1.8.1 spreads more easily than other variants. 'Using lab-based models, researchers found NB.1.8.1 had the strongest binding affinity to the human ACE2 receptor of several variants tested, suggesting it may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains,' Dr Herrero wrote last month in The Conversation. Dr Chun Tang, GP at UK private healthcare centre Pall Mall Medical, said: 'NB.1.8.1 isn't too different from the Omicron variant, but it does have some tweaks to its spike protein, which might make it spread a bit more easily or slip past some of our existing immunity. 'That said, early signs suggest it doesn't seem to cause more serious illness, but of course, we're still learning more about it.' 'Its spread has been identified in around 22 countries,' said Dr Naveed Asif, GP at The London General Practice. 'The WHO assesses the additional risk to the global public as currently low, and existing Covid-19 vaccines are considered effective in preventing severe disease.' However, the 'Nimbus' variant, as it has been dubbed, does appear to be more transmissible than previous strains, with notable increases reported in India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand, notes Dr Asif. Common symptoms of Nimbus include a severe sore throat, fatigue, mild cough, fever, muscle aches and congestion. It has also been reported that some patients have experienced gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and diarrhoea. Healthcare experts have stressed, however, that there is no evidence that the new strain is more deadly or serious than previous variants, and that current Covid vaccines are expected to remain effective and protect anyone infected from severe illness.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
2 new measles cases announced in Colorado: Exposure locations, current number of cases
DENVER (KDVR) — Two new measles cases have been announced in Colorado, this time in El Paso and Arapahoe counties. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said in the El Paso County case, a child under the age of 5 years old has a confirmed case of measles after traveling with family to Ontario, Canada, where there is an ongoing measles outbreak. The child has one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, CDPHE said. Measles outbreaks in Michigan and Pennsylvania end, while Texas logs just 4 new cases The second case involves an unvaccinated Arapahoe County adult. The person was at Denver International Airport on Tuesday, May 13, which is during the exposure period from a Turkish Airlines passenger who flew while infectious and landed at DIA. This brings the total number of measles cases to 14 in the state, with Arapahoe, Denver and El Paso counties each having four cases, and Pueblo and Archuleta counties each having one. Here are the possible exposure locations for measles from the newly announced cases. Anyone who was there should monitor for symptoms for 21 days after exposure and avoid public gatherings or high-risk settings. Location Date/time When symptoms may develop Powers Pointe Urgent Care5607 Barnes RoadColorado Springs, CO 80917 Tuesday, June 39:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Through June 24 HCA HealthONE Aurora (Medical Center of Aurora) Emergency Department1501 S. Potomac CO 80012 Thursday, June 54:55 – 10:05 p.m. Through June 26 Safeway1200 S. Buckley RoadAurora, CO 80017 Friday, June 64 – 6:15 p.m. Through June 27 St. Francis Medical Center Emergency Department6001 E. Woodmen RoadColorado Springs, CO 80923 Saturday, June 79:30 – 10:50 a.m. Through June 28 UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital Emergency Department12605 E. 16th CO 80045 Saturday, June 72 – 4:10 p.m. Through June 28 There are further exposure locations in Aurora, Colorado Springs, Denver, Evergreen, Glendale, Grand Junction, Greenwood Village and Windsor. All locations and time frames have been listed on CDPHE's website here. Anyone who was at the above locations during the exposure window and develops symptoms should immediately contact their health provider by phone. If you do not have a provider, call urgent care or an emergency department and explain your measles exposure. Calling ahead helps limit further exposures. Measles vaccination rates drop after COVID-19 pandemic in counties across the US Measles is highly contagious and can spread through the air via coughs and sneezes. The disease can remain in the air up to two hours after the person has left. The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is through the MMR vaccine, according to CDPHE. Two doses of the MMR vaccination are about 97% effective in preventing measles, CDPHE has repeatedly stated. 'In rare cases, people who are vaccinated can still get measles, but their symptoms are usually milder, and they are less likely to spread it to others,' CDPHE explained in a release. About 93.7% of Colorado children have the MMR vaccination, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella. That's below the goal threshold of 95% for community immunity. Coloradans can check their own or their child's immunization records through the state's Immunization Information System public portal. If your provider has not reported vaccines, some records may be incomplete. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
