There is a vaccine aimed at preventing TB called Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), but it’s not commonly used in the U.S., according to the CDC. However, many people born outside the U.S. have gotten the vaccine.

Tuberculosis spreads through germs released when a person with TB in their lungs coughs, speaks or sings. These bacteria can stay in the air for prolonged periods of time and are more likely to spread to other people indoors and in poorly-ventilated spaces.

Healthline also offers the following tips for preventing TB infections: Wash your hands often and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. Eat a nutritious diet and exercise regularly to keep your immune system strong.

A large outbreak of tuberculosis has been reported in Kansas; is tuberculosis a public health concern in Louisiana? Find out here.

More than 60 people were being treated in the Kansas City area as of Friday, according to the state health department.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clarified the Kansas outbreak isn’t the largest in modern history. Outbreaks between 2015 and 2017, in Georgia homeless shelters, and a 2021 nationwide outbreak resulting from patients infected from contaminated bone grafts have been larger, the federal agency said in an email.

Kansas is currently facing one the largest tuberculosis outbreaks in U.S. history with 67 confirmed active cases and 79 confirmed latent cases.

An outbreak of tuberculosis in the Kansas City area has grown into one of the largest ever recorded in the United States, with dozens of active cases of the infectious disease reported, according to health officials.