Tuberculosis Outbreak in Kansas City Ends with No Drug-Resistant Cases

In November 2025, a tuberculosis outbreak that had affected the Kansas City, Kansas area has officially come to an end. The outbreak, which began in early 2024, involved Wyandotte and Johnson counties and was one of the largest in recent decades, with 68 confirmed active tuberculosis cases.

Through extensive screening efforts, an additional 91 latent TB infections were identified and treated preventively. In total, more than 650 individuals were evaluated or monitored throughout the investigation. Fortunately, no drug-resistant strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria were detected during the outbreak.

All individuals with active TB have now successfully completed their treatment, and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has declared the outbreak over. Routine surveillance remains important for the early detection and prevention of tuberculosis, which spreads through the air when someone with an active infection coughs, speaks or sings.