Is Kansas City safe to go to? Because of the reports of Tuberculosis, some people might fear that going to Kansas City would be unsafe or at least undesirable. It has been labeled as the “Largest TB outbreak in US history” according to AP News. Tuberculosis, or TB is, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), a very curable and very preventable disease. There has been an increase in cases recently. If left untreated, TB can be fatal. The mortality rate being 50% or often times even higher than that. It can also seem to disappear, then come back later. According to the Mayo Clinic, TB can affect other parts of the body. Like the following; larynx (the voice box), liver, kidneys. Heart muscles, walls of blood vessel, lymph nodes, fluid surrounding spinal cord and brain, genitals, bones, joints, and skin!
If symptoms are present, which is not always guaranteed, according to mayoclinic.org, an infected person may experience the following; low fever, tiredness, and a cough. Which, are the primary symptoms. The first step of tuberculosis. Usually the primary symptoms are followed by latent Tb. Which does not show any symptoms. After that, active TB follows next. Active TB is when the infection reaches and attacks the lungs when the immune system can no longer withstand and control the infection. The sytoms of this include the following; continue of cough, sometimes coughing up blood or mucus too, tiredness, weight loss, night sweats, fever, loss of apatite, respiratory pain (like pain when coughing or breathing). Along with a general unwell feeling.
It is not as contagious as the flu, but it is still unsafe to be near someone infected with the disease. According to the Center For Disease Control or also more commonly known as the CDC, their were over 9000 cases in the US in 2023. A 15% increase from 2022, with only around 8000 cases. Tuberculosis is on a uprising not only in Kansas, but the rest of the United States and, the whole world as well.
Even with the reports, Kansas City continues to thrive. It is seemingly moving on from the outbreak. It had not stopped people from going to the cities nor the infected counties. “I am very excited about the move and no concern about getting sick,” said freshmen Aiyana Papillo-Davis, who is moving to Kansas City this coming month. “I don’t think it is that big of a deal because I would have heard about it by now”. There have been no serious shutdowns because of the outbreak. The question is, are schools safe? “I would feel safe and comfortable there,” said Papillo-Davis, referring to the idea of school safety. Because no schools were shut down in Kansas City.
Even with around 70 active cases, there is no real call for concern. The Kansas City metro population is over 2 million people. This includes the two infected counties. With these numbers, it is safe to say their should be no issue or severe threat. It has seemed to die down over the last couple of days, with no more active cases. “I am very excited about the move and no concern about getting sick,” says Papillo-Davis. This outbreak is the largest in US history, but since the government is more experienced, the death rate stays relatively low, with two reported deaths over the course of the last few weeks. Tuberculosis is the disease that killed founding father James Monroe. During the 18th and 19th centuries, TB was at its worst. In the 19th century, a quarter of the adult population in Europe succumbed to the disease. Without proper treatment, the death rate was 66%.
Very few who were infected with TB in the 1800s survived. It is easy to say that TB now, is not nearly as deadly as it was back in the 1800s, not even close. It still might be concerning for the people in Wyandotte and Johnson counties. According to The World Health Organization, the country with the highest rate of TB is India, with an estimate of 27% to 31% of the worlds with a rate of 195 cases per 100,000 people. TB reports were from India. Which is no surprise due to the massive and cramped population of the country, and offen inadequate healthcare in the rural areas. The United States, in comparison, has a way lower rate with 2.9 cases every 100,000 people. Comparing the two is unfair, sense India has a way larger population than the US.
Even thought this outbreak may seem very worrisome, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has it under control. Travelling to Kansas City should be of no worry or discomfort, knowing that TB is curable. It is important to wash your hands and if you have symptoms, to get tested before it can spread and or get worse.
