© 2025 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

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.

Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

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.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

As KCUR’s public safety and justice reporter, I put the people affected by the criminal justice system front and center, so you can learn about different perspectives through empathetic, contextual and informative reporting. My investigative work shines a light on often secretive processes, countering official narratives and exposing injustices. 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.
KCUR prides ourselves on bringing local journalism to the public without a paywall — ever.

Our reporting will always be free for you to read. But it's not free to produce.

As a nonprofit, we rely on your donations to keep operating and trying new things. If you value our work, consider becoming a member.