Concerns over Tuberculosis cases

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) -With the outbreak of Tuberculosis in Kansas, many are worried about the rise in cases.

However, Laura Collins, a nurse with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, says there are always cases of TB in the commonwealth.

So far in 2025, they have seen nine cases.

“We typically treat a person with TB disease six, nine or 12 months,” says Collins. “That depends on where the disease is and it depends on their response.”

TB is caused by a bacteria and is spread similarly to a cold or flu.

Symptoms can also be similar to those as well, such as a cough.

“Fever, weight loss and night sweats are one thing that is characteristic of TB that’s not many other things,” says Collins.

Collins says try to avoid people with these types of symptoms or anything you would do to avoid catching a cold or flu.

She adds that when someone comes in with these symptoms, they will test for TB either with a blood test or TB skin test.

If someone tests positive, they do a contact investigation.

“So we start, kind of with a bullseye, with their home. We screen everybody in their home and then we go out from that. So like work, school or church. Any kind of place they spend time.”

Collins says anyone who contracts TB infection could not develop, or ‘activate’ the disease for years. Though people who have a weakened immune system could develop it a lot sooner.

There are several treatments.

“They take those medicines like they would a blood pressure medicine, you go home and you take it. And then that reduces their chances of ever activating and having TB disease.”

According to the CDC, while there is a TB vaccine it is not generally recommended in the U.S. due to the low risk of infection with the bacteria.