You most likely did not catch tuberculosis (TB) at the Chiefs game on Sunday.

An ongoing outbreak of tuberculosis in the Kansas City area has sparked worries about its transmission both locally and throughout the country.

Health officials assert that the current TB outbreak, affecting several individuals in eastern Kansas, poses a low risk to the general public. However, Ginny Boos, director of infection prevention at Saint Luke’s Health System in Kansas City, emphasizes that most people should be more concerned about respiratory viruses that tend to spike during this season.

Active tuberculosis can take several weeks to manifest, unlike sudden illnesses such as the flu, COVID-19, or a cold.

Boos explained to YSL News, “Just because you were at the Chiefs’ AFC championship victory, that doesn’t mean you are now at a significant risk for contracting TB. It’s quite unlikely.”

However, if you sat near someone in the Arrowhead Stadium’s upper section who was coughing and possibly had the flu, Boos noted, “there’s a fair chance you might catch that.”

Individuals with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses who come into contact with active TB cases should be cautious, she advised, as they face a higher risk of falling ill with serious complications from tuberculosis.

Details on the tuberculosis outbreak

As of Friday, 67 individuals in eastern Kansas are reported to have active tuberculosis, and an additional 79 have latent infections, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. This outbreak primarily affects two counties in the Kansas City metro area and was first identified in January 2024. Sadly, there have been two fatalities connected to this outbreak.

According to a statement from health department representative Jill Bronaugh, this outbreak is the largest seen in recent times, with the potential for more cases to emerge.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) clarified that while the Kansas outbreak is significant, it is not the largest recorded in recent history. Outbreaks in Georgia’s homeless shelters from 2015 to 2017 and one in 2021 linked to contaminated bone grafts had higher case numbers, the CDC noted in an email.

Understanding tuberculosis symptoms

Tuberculosis, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, spreads through respiratory droplets from those with active infections, as per the CDC. A common symptom of active tuberculosis is a persistent cough producing phlegm that may contain blood.

When an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, the germs can become airborne and inhaled by others. Typically, exposure occurs in small, confined spaces, such as nursing homes, jails, or classrooms, especially over extended periods.

Tuberculosis shares some similarities in how it spreads with respiratory viruses, primarily through droplets released during coughing, sneezing, or talking. These viruses thrive in congregated settings and colder, drier climates.

Symptoms for respiratory viruses typically appear more quickly than those for tuberculosis. Currently, respiratory viruses are prevalent across the nation, according to CDC statistics. For instance, last flu season reported over 470,000 hospitalizations and approximately 28,000 deaths due to flu-related complications.

What we know about tuberculosis

There has been a noted rise in tuberculosis cases since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reasons for this increase are still being investigated; however, delays in seeking medical care due to the pandemic and a return to more travel and migration may contribute to the surge.

Cases of tuberculosis in the U.S. increased by 15% from 2022 to 2023, with over 9,600 provisional cases reported, a rise from fewer than 8,900 in 2019.

“TB acts like an iceberg,” Dr. Luke Davis, an associate professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, told YSL News. “The cases reported to the CDC obscure a much larger underlying issue.”

These statistics fail to account for latent infections that the body can control without showing symptoms of active tuberculosis. If untreated, latent TB can develop into active cases in the future. Although active tuberculosis can be transmitted between individuals, latent cases cannot. This dormant state helps the bacterium evade detection, but it may reactivate at any moment, causing illness. This situation underscores the importance of increased screening and preventive measures.

A vaccine for tuberculosis exists, but it is not commonly used in the U.S. mainly due to low transmission rates and the fact that its effectiveness diminishes over time, according to Dr. Davis.

On a global scale, tuberculosis remains a significant challenge. The World Health Organization reported that 2023 saw 8.2 million new tuberculosis cases, the highest since they began tracking the disease in 1995. In 2023, tuberculosis surpassed COVID-19 as the deadliest infectious disease, causing 1.25 million deaths.

Concerns about public health funding

Historically, the U.S. has been the largest contributor to WHO and global tuberculosis initiatives. However, in his first executive order, President Donald Trump sought to withdraw the U.S. from WHO. According to the Associated Press, the administration later directed CDC personnel to cease collaboration with WHO immediately.

As discussions around public health funding continue, it is apparent that the Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59 on February 9 in New Orleans. It’s also crucial to remember that flu cases peak in winter, typically around February. So if you’re heading to the game, keep that in mind as you support your team.