Tuberculosis spreads through germs released when a person with TB in their lungs coughs, speaks or sings. These bacteria can stay in the air for prolonged periods of time and are more likely to spread to other people indoors and in poorly-ventilated spaces.

There is a vaccine aimed at preventing TB called Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), but it’s not commonly used in the U.S., according to the CDC. However, many people born outside the U.S. have gotten the vaccine.

Kansas is currently experiencing a rare outbreak of tuberculosis (TB), the world’s deadliest infectious disease. TB is spread via germs in the air and usually affects the lungs but can also affect the brain, the kidneys or the spine.

More than 60 people were being treated in the Kansas City area as of Friday, according to the state health department.

The state has seen tuberculosis cases double between 2023 and 2024, with the CDC offering support on the ground.

An outbreak of tuberculosis in the Kansas City area has grown into one of the largest ever recorded in the United States, with dozens of active cases of the infectious disease reported, according to health officials.

Fact checked by Nick Blackmer A tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in the Kansas City area has gained national attention this week, with headlines claiming it’s the “largest outbreak in U.S. history” since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started recording cases in the 1950s.

You don’t need to have the vaccine to attend colleges in Kansas, but some do require you to get tested for tuberculosis before enrolling and going to classes on campus, like at the University of Kansas.

A large, ongoing tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas has sickened at least 67 and caused two deaths. What to know about TB symptoms, transmission, and treatment.

CDC surveillance information is limited in that it only reflects TB cases as of the end of 2023, when 9,633 cases were reported in the U.S.

An Ohio high school is urging testing after a student tested positive for tuberculosis.  A letter dated Jan. 29 was sent to parents from Whitehall-Yearling High