By Monique Joseph
Photo credit Wikimedia Commons, Woman coughing in her elbow sitting at a table, 5 June 2024, Own Work, MelConfidentiel
There’s a possible rise in America of a deadly disease that people should be aware of before it is too late. It’s tuberculosis and it is a bacterial type of disease that mainly affects the lungs; because it resides inside the lungs, it’s an airborne disease and can become quite fatal if left untreated for too long.
There are subtle symptoms one can find like chills, fatigue, night sweats, fever, and more. The most obvious and significant trait of tuberculosis is coughing up blood. However, that is usually led by a cough that lasts up to three weeks. There were 79 cases of this fatal disease, as of Feb. 7, and 79 inactive cases since the launch of its outbreak in Kansas.
“The Kansas City area is currently at the epicenter of an unusual tuberculosis outbreak, where 67people are being treated for the highly contagious disease” according to a report by C.D.W. 2025, Feb. 5. Tuberculosis cases on the rise in NC after more than 30 years of decline at WRAL.com.
With the outbreak still ongoing, it’s uncertain just how far it will spread so it is best to at least stay healthy and cautious. Tuberculosis has so far been identified in Kansas, Ohio, Montana, and West Michigan. With so few states, risks are low but are still around enough for awareness to be necessary.
“If you have TB, practice good hygiene when coughing, including avoiding contact with other people and wearing a mask, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and disposing of sputum and used tissues properly the World Health Organization WHO & World Health Organization: WHO. 2024, October 29, said. However, it is best to be advised not to wear just any sort of mask as everyone did a few years ago on the rise of COVID.
That is because COVID-19 transfers from person to person through liquid particles, such as exposure to sneezes and the like, that is why it was so heavily advised back then to wash your hands. Tuberculosis is airborne which means the mask you wear for protection must be strong which brings in N95 masks that you can easily buy at a local Home Depot.
As of now, there are no major risks compared to early 2020 but the public should still be made aware. Everyone must please make sure of your family, friends, and coworkers. If a cough has lasted for a few weeks, it is not something that should be discarded.
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