Once known as "consumption" and other names, tuberculosis (TB) is an ancient disease that's made a resurgence in Kansas.
But Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control for the University of Kansas Health System, doesn't want residents to panic.
"You are certainly at extremely low risk of coming into contact and being infected with this organism," Hawkinson tells KCUR's Up To Date. "It is hard to get this disease."
Hawkinson said that tuberculosis requires prolonged exposure to someone with an active infection, making it less infectious than diseases like COVID-19, influenza, or measles.
While there are currently 67 people in Wyandotte and Johnson counties being treated for active tuberculosis, as of Jan. 24, Hawkinson says there's a difference between active and latent cases.
People with latent tuberculosis infections do not show symptoms and cannot spread the bacteria to other people.
Tuberculosis symptoms tend to persist for months. They include bloody coughing, fever, night sweats, and weight loss.
Hawkinson says she trusts Kansas' public health response to this outbreak.
"We have had a very good public health infrastructure and diligent public health workers to help reduce the rates of active TB in the community," Hawkinson says. "I think most people are pretty confident that we are getting a handle on it."
- Dr. Dana Hawkinson, University of Kansas Health System infectious disease expert
