The United States is currently grappling with its largest tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in history, primarily concentrated in Kansas. While cases have been documented since 2021, a significant surge has been reported since 2024. A critical concern for public health officials is that the specific strain of tuberculosis circulating in this outbreak appears to be resistant to two of the standard treatment methods for the disease. Further complicating efforts to address the situation, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other government organizations are currently unable to publicly comment on the outbreak or other related matters due to a communications pause, as reported by The Washington Post.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has officially confirmed the outbreak, reporting 66 active cases of tuberculosis and 79 latent infections since 2024. Dr. Thomas Russo, a professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, explains that