An outbreak of tuberculosis, or TB – a lung disease that is often accompanied by a hacking cough – began in January 2024 in Kansas City, Kansas, and two nearby counties and continues as of early March 2025. To date, 147 people have been reportedly diagnosed with TB in the outbreak, with 67 becoming ill. The remaining 80 people diagnosed with TB in Kansas contracted the illness but showed no symptoms, which is called a latent infection.
TB is the leading infectious cause of death around the world, outpaced only by COVID-19 during the first three years of the pandemic.
The Conversation asked microbiologists Karen Dobos and Marcela Henao-Tamayo, both from Colorado State University, to explain why this ancient disease seems to be making a comeback.
Fair Use Notice
UNMC Global Center for Health Security staff curate publicly available news and information for educational and informational purposes. Brief excerpts of published articles may be displayed under principles of Fair Use, with credit and links provided to the source publications. All copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.