As Kansas deals with one of the largest tuberculosis outbreaks in the nation since the 1950s, Californians may be wondering whether they’re at risk.
The Kansas outbreak, described by health officials as “unprecedented,” has killed at least two people and sickened dozens of others.
It could be an indicator that tuberculosis cases may be increasing across the United States, said Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at University of California, San Francisco.
“It’s a somber sign of what could come in any state at any point,” he said, “even in California, who generally has a very good TB control program.”
What is tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis is a respiratory disease caused by bacteria, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
TB primarily affects the lungs and can spread to other parts of the body, such as the brain, spine, lymph nodes and kidneys.
Not everyone infected with tuberculosis becomes ill immediately.
Some people have active tuberculosis while others have inactive or latent TB.
However, even those with a latent infection can develop active TB over time and get sick from the disease, according to the CDC.
The CDC estimates up to 13 million people in the United States have inactive tuberculosis.
There were 9,633 TB cases reported in the nation in 2023, according to the CDC’s most recent data.
What are tuberculosis symptoms?
According to the CDC, common symptoms of tuberculosis disease in the lungs can include:
- A bad cough that lasts three weeks or longer
- Pain in the chest
- Coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm) from deep inside the lungs
- Weakness or fatigue
- No appetite
- Chills
- Fever
- Sweating
Symptoms of TB in other parts of the body depend on which area is affected.
Tuberculosis disease of the lymph nodes may cause red or purple swelling under the skin, and TB disease of the kidney can lead to blood in the urine.
Can you die from tuberculosis?
“If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal,” the CDC said, calling it “one of the world’s leading infectious disease killers.”
How does tuberculosis spread?
TB is mostly spread through coughing, said Dean Blumberg, the chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Health.
The disease disseminates through the air from one infected person to others through coughing, speaking or singing.
Tuberculosis is more likely to spread indoors in rooms with limited air circulation, according to the CDC.
However, short interactions with infected people rarely result in disease, Blumberg said.
“Casual contact would be unlikely to result in transmission. It’s usually more prolonged intimate contact,” he said.”People that you’re living with or are spending a lot of time with, for example, going to school or camp where you’re sharing a cabin, those sorts of situations.”
Are TB cases on the rise in California?
Tuberculosis cases have increased by 24% in California since 2020, according to the California Department of Public Health.
According to the most recent data available, a total of 2,113 people had new tuberculosis cases in 2023, a 15% jump from the previous year.
The state’s tuberculosis rate was 5.4 cases per 100,000 people—nearly double the nationwide incidence rate of 2.9, the California Department of Public Health said on its website.
In 2023, 10 new TB outbreaks were reported, along with 15 ongoing outbreaks involving at least four people.
“This is the highest number of new outbreaks and outbreak cases in the past 10 years,” the state’s Tuberculosis Control Branch said at the time.
The California Department of Public Health said the number of TB cases reported in the state in 2024 will be released in late March, around the same time the CDC releases national tuberculosis rates.
On average, tuberculosis kills more than 200 Californians each year, the state’s public health department said.
The state health department said a return to normal activities and travel after the COVID-19 pandemic could have caused TB cases to escalate since 2020.
However, the agency said most Californians are not at risk of contracting TB.
“While clusters of recently transmitted TB and outbreaks occur in California each year, the risk of spread is highest for those who are close to and share air with persons sick with tuberculosis,” the California Department of Public Health told The Sacramento Bee via email. “The risk of TB spreading from these outbreaks, and the Kansas outbreak, to most Californians is low.”
Who is at higher risk of getting tuberculosis?
People who are in and out of hospitals, homeless shelters, prisons and jails are more prone to contracting tuberculosis, Chin-Hong said.
So are people with compromised immune systems and those who have recently immigrated to the United States.
“Those are some of the populations that we think about who might benefit from enhanced screening,” he said.
According to Healthline, other factors can increase your risk of developing active TB:
- Having a weakened immune system due to cancer, HIV or other conditions
- Living in overcrowded conditions
- Traveling to countries with high rates of TB
- Frequent close contact with someone that has active TB disease
- Working in health care settings that serve high-risk populations
These groups should get tested regularly for TB, according to the CDC.
How is TB treated?
Treatment is available for people with latent and active tuberculosis, according to the CDC.
People with no TB symptoms can complete a three-month treatment plan that includes a combination of medications, the CDC advised.
Patients with tuberculosis symptoms can expect a “relatively long treatment,” Blumberg said.
Treatment for active TB patients can last up to nine months, the CDC said. Patients are given a combination of antibiotics since the pathogen can become resistant to medication.
How can I avoid getting sick?
“It’s very difficult to try to avoid (tuberculosis),” Blumberg said, because it can take years for someone infected with TB to show symptoms.
“For tuberculosis, you don’t want to be around people who have prolonged cough and fever,” he said.
That can be difficult if they’re a family member or live in your household, Blumberg added.
The CDC advised people who have been exposed to active TB to contact a health care provider or a local health department.
“Really the mainstay of prevention of tuberculosis is relying on public health to detect cases, to make sure they’re diagnosed appropriately, to make sure they’re then isolated and treated,” Blumberg said.
Should I get vaccinated against TB?
The Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine is administered by doctors to prevent tuberculosis infection.
However, it is not typically used in the United States, according to the CDC.
“We don’t give (tuberculosis) vaccines because the risk is generally low in this country,” Chin-Hong said.
The infectious disease specialist said the vaccine is most effective at preventing tuberculosis that is in other parts of the body outside of the lungs.
However, most TB cases in the United States are the type that infects the lungs, Chin-Hong said.
The vaccine can also cause a false positive if you get tested for TB, the CDC advised.
“Right now, with the currently available vaccine, it doesn’t make any sense to get it in the U.S.,” Chin-Hong said.
2025 The Sacramento Bee. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Citation:
‘Unprecedented’ tuberculosis outbreak is underway in Kansas: Are Californians at risk? (2025, February 6)
retrieved 6 February 2025
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This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
As Kansas deals with one of the largest tuberculosis outbreaks in the nation since the 1950s, Californians may be wondering whether they’re at risk. The Kansas outbreak, described by health officials as “unprecedented,” has killed at least two people and sickened dozens of others. It could be an indicator that tuberculosis cases may be increasing across the United States, said Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at University of California, San Francisco. “It’s a somber sign of what could come in any state at any point,” he said, “even in California, who generally has a very good TB control program.” Tuberculosis is a respiratory disease caused by bacteria, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. TB primarily affects the lungs and can spread to other parts of the body, such as the brain, spine, lymph nodes and kidneys. Not everyone infected with tuberculosis becomes ill immediately. Some people have active tuberculosis while others have inactive or latent TB. However, even those with a latent infection can develop active TB over time and get sick from the disease, according to the CDC. The CDC estimates up to 13 million people in the United States have inactive tuberculosis. There were 9,633 TB cases reported in the nation in 2023, according to the CDC’s most recent data. According to the CDC, common symptoms of tuberculosis disease in the lungs can include: Symptoms of TB in other parts of the body depend on which area is affected. Tuberculosis disease of the lymph nodes may cause red or purple swelling under the skin, and TB disease of the kidney can lead to blood in the urine. “If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal,” the CDC said, calling it “one of the world’s leading infectious disease killers.” TB is mostly spread through coughing, said Dean Blumberg, the chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Health. The disease disseminates through the air from one infected person to others through coughing, speaking or singing. Tuberculosis is more likely to spread indoors in rooms with limited air circulation, according to the CDC. However, short interactions with infected people rarely result in disease, Blumberg said. “Casual contact would be unlikely to result in transmission. It’s usually more prolonged intimate contact,” he said.”People that you’re living with or are spending a lot of time with, for example, going to school or camp where you’re sharing a cabin, those sorts of situations.” Tuberculosis cases have increased by 24% in California since 2020, according to the California Department of Public Health. According to the most recent data available, a total of 2,113 people had new tuberculosis cases in 2023, a 15% jump from the previous year. The state’s tuberculosis rate was 5.4 cases per 100,000 people—nearly double the nationwide incidence rate of 2.9, the California Department of Public Health said on its website. In 2023, 10 new TB outbreaks were reported, along with 15 ongoing outbreaks involving at least four people. “This is the highest number of new outbreaks and outbreak cases in the past 10 years,” the state’s Tuberculosis Control Branch said at the time. The California Department of Public Health said the number of TB cases reported in the state in 2024 will be released in late March, around the same time the CDC releases national tuberculosis rates. On average, tuberculosis kills more than 200 Californians each year, the state’s public health department said. The state health department said a return to normal activities and travel after the COVID-19 pandemic could have caused TB cases to escalate since 2020. However, the agency said most Californians are not at risk of contracting TB. “While clusters of recently transmitted TB and outbreaks occur in California each year, the risk of spread is highest for those who are close to and share air with persons sick with tuberculosis,” the California Department of Public Health told The Sacramento Bee via email. “The risk of TB spreading from these outbreaks, and the Kansas outbreak, to most Californians is low.” People who are in and out of hospitals, homeless shelters, prisons and jails are more prone to contracting tuberculosis, Chin-Hong said. So are people with compromised immune systems and those who have recently immigrated to the United States. “Those are some of the populations that we think about who might benefit from enhanced screening,” he said. According to Healthline, other factors can increase your risk of developing active TB: These groups should get tested regularly for TB, according to the CDC. Treatment is available for people with latent and active tuberculosis, according to the CDC. People with no TB symptoms can complete a three-month treatment plan that includes a combination of medications, the CDC advised. Patients with tuberculosis symptoms can expect a “relatively long treatment,” Blumberg said. Treatment for active TB patients can last up to nine months, the CDC said. Patients are given a combination of antibiotics since the pathogen can become resistant to medication. “It’s very difficult to try to avoid (tuberculosis),” Blumberg said, because it can take years for someone infected with TB to show symptoms. “For tuberculosis, you don’t want to be around people who have prolonged cough and fever,” he said. That can be difficult if they’re a family member or live in your household, Blumberg added. The CDC advised people who have been exposed to active TB to contact a health care provider or a local health department. “Really the mainstay of prevention of tuberculosis is relying on public health to detect cases, to make sure they’re diagnosed appropriately, to make sure they’re then isolated and treated,” Blumberg said. The Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine is administered by doctors to prevent tuberculosis infection. However, it is not typically used in the United States, according to the CDC. “We don’t give (tuberculosis) vaccines because the risk is generally low in this country,” Chin-Hong said. The infectious disease specialist said the vaccine is most effective at preventing tuberculosis that is in other parts of the body outside of the lungs. However, most TB cases in the United States are the type that infects the lungs, Chin-Hong said. The vaccine can also cause a false positive if you get tested for TB, the CDC advised. “Right now, with the currently available vaccine, it doesn’t make any sense to get it in the U.S.,” Chin-Hong said. 2025 The Sacramento Bee. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Citation: This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
What is tuberculosis?
What are tuberculosis symptoms?
Can you die from tuberculosis?
How does tuberculosis spread?
Are TB cases on the rise in California?
Who is at higher risk of getting tuberculosis?
How is TB treated?
How can I avoid getting sick?
Should I get vaccinated against TB?
‘Unprecedented’ tuberculosis outbreak is underway in Kansas: Are Californians at risk? (2025, February 6)
retrieved 6 February 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-unprecedented-tuberculosis-outbreak-underway-kansas.html
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
