WOODFORD COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — According to NBC, a tuberculosis outbreak killed two people in Kansas, with 60 more cases reported. This marked the largest outbreak in US history. Now, people across the country are starting to panic about the contagious disease.
The Woodford County Health Department has heard the chatter, as people in the community are concerned with the rise of tuberculosis nationwide.
There were more reported cases last year than any other year in the past decade, said Cassie Prather, the public health director at WCHD.
Most people who find out they have TB have the latent form of the disease, Prather said, meaning they have the infection but don't show symptoms. If you start feeling under the weather, it's time for another checkup.
In total, there have been 75 cases of TB across the state in the last year, an increase since 2022.
Prather encourages the public to stay calm. As long as you're following the direction of your local health department, not showing symptoms, and being vigilant when you're close to someone, you should be fine.
"The only threat is if you have been in direct contact with someone… speaking to them closely, singing with them. It's really that kind of exposure," Prather said.
