Consumption in Kansas: How Tuberculosis Is Astonishing People With Its Virality

Ah, consumption. That ‘old-timey’ disease. Inexplicably romanticised throughout art of all kinds in the 19th century. It was the hottest thing to die of. I usually prefer not dying, but alas, it was a different time. Personally, I’m hoping for death via something sudden in my sleep when I’m, like, I don’t know, 93. This is not a death Tuberculosis can provide. Even if you’re 93.

I don’t like when my personal interests intersect with my reality. See, I’m a spooky, kinda morbid girl. I love horror fiction, and ‘non-fiction’ however dubious I find that particular genre to be. I also love crime dramas and podcasts. I enjoy learning about the mortuary process and industry. If you have seen nothing by Caitlyn Doughty, you are seriously missing out. She is a treasure among humans. Her YouTube is linked here. But my final, weird, gets me into awkward social situations, interest is diseases. Lately, far too many times, this has been a bit too real. Years ago, a listed to a podcast about Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Interesting. Terrifying. I insisted to Kevin that we should avoid equines of all varieties. Naturally, he told me he didn’t think people with anxiety disorders that include a health related fears should be allowed to listen to such things and ignored me. Five years later, I was horrifyingly vindicated by an actual outbreak in New England. He doesn’t find this ONE time where I was right (he says kind of right) to be all that compelling.

Now TB has come to town, and it is making a big splash. As it does when it comes to town. It isn’t super subtle. So let’s start with the basics of what TB does. Cause those romantic ideas are basically bullshit. This thing is nasty. Most of this info can be found, with extra details and less nonsense here.

Symptoms you can expect include: 3 + week potentially bloody cough, weakness, high temperature, extreme fatigue. That all sounds just terrible. And people sometimes can’t get out of bed because of difficulty breathing. This is when you have primarily pulmonary TB. But TB sometimes likes to be a little EXTRA. Because of that, you can get what’s called extrapulmonary TB. This is when it wanders (medical term, I’m sure) away from your lungs and takes up residence elsewhere in your body. Sometimes we all get sick of the same four walls (lungs) and need a little break. In that case, you might enjoy some additional symptoms such as joint and gland swelling, headaches, confusion, constipation, or even a fun rash! Just a multitude of potential ailments. Finally, there is latent TB. You have TB, can spread it, but show no symptoms. Like, an army of typhoid (TB) Marys just marching around infecting people unknowingly. Awesome.

This isn’t just an extra terrible cold. This is a cold-blooded killer. In 2023 alone, it killed 1.25 million people. Antibiotics make it treatable, but there are antibiotic-resistant strains. A major problem throughout the healthcare industry this can render it untreatable by conventional means. TB spreads through water droplets in the air. Person to person spread is, unfortunately, easy. Basic measures are going to be the best defense and, again unfortunately, because of COVID, we all know what they are. Wash your damn hands. Mask up if you are sick or in an area where there are infections. There is a vaccination, but it isn’t widely available right now and isn’t generally recommended to Americans. If you’re offering, though, I’ll take one.

Let’s talk about Kansas. As of Jan, 28th 2025, Kansas had 67 cases of TB and 79 cases of latent TB. Kanas readers, stay safe. Get tested. Take precautions. If you have TB, you can expect 4 to 9 months of treatment. A grueling regimen, for sure. Don’t let that dissuade you and don’t cut it short. You might start to feel better, or never have felt sick in the first place, but it can come back and latent TB can become active.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has additional information if needed.

Stay safe and healthy.