While some health officials initially distinguished an emerging tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in Kansas City as the largest documented TB outbreak on record in the United States, a report from the Associated Press indicates that it’s likely not the largest. A spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told the news outlet that there are at least 2 other larger TB outbreaks recorded. According to data from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 67 active cases and 79 latent cases of TB were identified in a 2-county area since the beginning of 2024. However, there are more cases not included in these totals that are still provisional and require confirmation from the CDC. Two TB deaths in 2024 were associated with the outbreak as well, and officials believe even more cases may emerge in the weeks ahead. CDC has been monitoring and reporting TB cases since the 1950s and notes at least 2 other outbreaks that surpass the current Kansas data. From 2015 to 2017, health workers identified more than 170 active TB cases and more than 400 latent cases in Georgia. In 2021, another outbreak linked to bone transplants resulted in 113 TB cases nationwide.
How to test for TB in urgent care: There are distinct clinical nuances in the approach to testing for and treating TB in urgent care centers. Clinicians should have protocols in place to select the most appropriate TB test for each patient’s situation and should be able interpret the results accurately. Learn more in a newly published feature in JUCM: Clinical Review of Current Best Practices for Tuberculosis Screening, Testing, and Treatment in the Urgent Care Setting