A Tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in Kansas City, Kansas, has people on edge, with not much public knowledge about the disease or how to prevent it. The Kansas Department of Health & Environment reported as of January 31, 67 people were infected in the latest outbreak. Two people died and roughly half have finished treatment and are considered cured. What is Tuberculosis? “TB is referred to as ‘the great mimicker,’ says Sharjeel Ahmad, MD, a staff physician of infectious disease with OSF HealthCare, meaning the signs and symptoms are like many other viruses and bacterial infections people get. “Tuberculosis is a very contagious bacterial infection,” Dr. Ahmad says. “It’s caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis . It is spread when people cough, sneeze or spit. So, if you cough, spit or sneeze, you generate tiny particles. When someone else inhales that, you can get infected by TB.” While active TB disease cases are
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