TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the University of Kansas Medical Center, and local health departments, announced Friday the official end of the tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in the Kansas City, Kansas metropolitan area, according to a statement from the agency.
This milestone reflects nearly two years of coordinated public health response, with no new patients diagnosed with Active TB Disease since April 2025 and all affected individuals successfully completing treatment.
“Marking the end of the TB outbreak in the Kansas City, Kansas metro area is the result of the collaborative efforts of the KDHE staff, the CDC, KU Medical Center and the impacted local health departments,” KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek said. “The state is fortunate to have qualified medical professionals to be able to handle this and future outbreaks.”
The outbreak, first detected in early 2024, involved Wyandotte and Johnson counties, resulting in 68 confirmed active TB cases. This made it one of the largest TB outbreaks in the United States in recent decades. Through extensive screening efforts, an additional 91 latent TB infections were identified and treated preventively. More than 650 individuals were evaluated or monitored throughout the investigation.
Response efforts included widespread testing, directly observed therapy to support treatment adherence, and education campaigns to reduce stigma and encourage early reporting. No drug-resistant TB strains were identified, and the risk to the public remained low throughout the outbreak, as TB primarily spreads through prolonged, close contact with someone infectious.
Although the outbreak is over, KDHE continues to encourage vigilance. Kansas reports approximately 50 TB cases annually statewide. Routine surveillance will remain essential to early detection and prevention.
For more information on TB prevention and resources, visit the KDHE Tuberculosis Program’s website at https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/530/Tuberculosis-TB-Program or contact your local health department.