Kansas is dealing with a tuberculosis outbreak. Should Texans worry? Is there a 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.
Two people have died since the outburst started in January 2024. Health reports from Jan. 24, 2025 show67 people are sick with active TB cases: 60 in Wyandotte County and seven in Johnson County. An additional 79 people in the two counties are sick with latent cases, (also known as “inactive tuberculosis,” which means non-contagious and asymptomatic).
Though Kansas officials have said this is the largest outbreak in history, the Centers for Disease Control rebutted that claim. From 2015 to 2017, Atlanta experienced 170 cases of TB and more than 400 latent cases through outbreaks in homeless shelters.
The New York Times also reported that Kansas is not the only state dealing with an outbreak. Missouri, which borders Kansas, reported 87 cases of the disease from Jan. 1 to Jan. 28, 2025.
Ashley Goss, Kansas’ deputy secretary for public health, said the outbreak is ongoing but “we are trending in the right direction right now,” as those who are currently infected seem to be recovering.
While there is no tuberculosis outbreak in Texas, here’s what to know about early detection and prevention.
Am I required to have the tuberculosis vaccine in Texas?
The state of Texas does not require anyone of any age to get the tuberculosis vaccine. However, some health care workers are required to get the vaccine due to exposure, and some universities may require the vaccine for certain international students where the disease is more prevalent.
The CDC even goes so far to not recommend the shot: “...Vaccination is not generally recommended in the United States because of: the low risk of severe disseminated TB disease in young children in the United States; the variable efficacy of the...vaccine against pulmonary TB; the low overall risk of infection with M. tuberculosis in the United States; and the vaccine’s interference with the interpretation of the TB skin test.”
TB is very low-risk to the general public in the United States.
What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This germ typically develops in the lungs and is spread through particles into the air by coughing, speaking or even singing. The airborne particles can stay alive for hours.
Those who get infected can either be sick with an active or latent case.
Latent tuberculosis (referred to as TB infection) is not contagious and those infected experience no symptoms, so they don’t feel sick. Inactive TB without treatment can become active at any time, according to the CDC. To know if you have latent TB, you can do a TB blood test or a TB skin test.
Active tuberculosis (referred to as TB disease) is where those sick will experience symptoms. Symptoms include:
A cough that lasts three weeks or longer
Chest pain
Coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm from deep inside the lungs)
Weakness or fatigue
Weight loss
Loss of appetite
Chills
Fever
Night sweats
How to avoid tuberculosis
You can stay safe and avoid TB by:
- Staying away from people who have active TB
- Wearing a mask when visiting someone with TB
- Covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
- Washing your hands frequently
How to treat tuberculosis
Treatment for latent tuberculosis would include a treatment plan that you and your doctor decide on. For those with active tuberculosis, treatments would include three to nine months of various medicines to kill all the TB germs. Some medicines that doctors prescribe are:
Ethambutol
Isoniazid
Moxifloxacin
Rifampin
Rifapentine
Pyrazinamide
It is very important to do exactly as your doctor prescribes by taking all your medications at the right time and finishing the full dose.
When was the last tuberculosis outbreak in Texas?
The last Texas outbreak was in 2022. Texas public health officials diagnosed 1,097 people with TB during that time and confirmed 50 deaths from the disease. Tarrant County recorded 52 of those TB cases that year.
Texas still die from TB every year, but early detection can prevent TB deaths.
This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 5:08 PM.