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Why is there a tuberculosis outbreak in Wyandotte County?

Nearly 50 cases of tuberculosis have been confirmed in Wyandotte County — more than the total number of cases in the state of Kansas last year. Still, experts say overall public risk is low.

Health officials have confirmed 49 cases of the respiratory disease tuberculosis in Wyandotte County, more cases than the entire state of Kansas had last year. Tuberculosis is not widespread in the United States, but 40 states and Washington, D.C., reported increases in 2023. KCUR's Steve Kraske spoke with Dr. Dana Hawkinson of the University Kansas Health System about the disease, how to treat it and why public risk remains low amid the latest outbreak.

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This episode of Kansas City Today is hosted by Peggy Lowe. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios. It's edited by Madeline Fox, Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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I’m a veteran investigative reporter who came up through newspapers and moved to public media. I want to give people a better understanding of the criminal justice system by focusing on its deeper issues, like institutional racism, the poverty-to-prison pipeline and police accountability. Today this beat is much different from how reporters worked it in the past. I’m telling stories about people who are building significant civil rights movements and redefining public safety. Email me at lowep@kcur.org.
As an on-demand producer, I am focused on using my skills and experiences across multiple digital applications, platforms and media fields to create community focused audio, video and on-demand products for KCUR Studios. The media that I produce aims to inform, entertain and connect with the Kansas City metro area as we continue to learn from each other. Email me at byronlove@kcur.org.
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