#cafcore

Kansas is currently in the midst of one of the largest TUBERCULOSIS outbreaks in United States history!! There are 80+ active cases (symptomatic TB) and 200+ latent (asymptomatic - the bacteria has infected a region of the body where contagions are less concerning like the spine or kidneys) cases. While the numbers are still relatively low, this can quickly get out of hand, ESPECIALLY NOW WHILE THE FDA AND CDC ARE ON HALT BY EXECUTIVE ORDER.

THIS ALSO MEANS THE FDA CANNOT MAKE ANY RECALLS.

Because the FDA has been told to halt operations, they are not putting out any national or regional recalls, meaning you as the consumer are responsible for checking with the companies you buy from until they resume normal procedures.

What should you do?

Wash your hands frequently! It’s flu season and norovirus and RSV tend to spread much more towards the end of winter, so you should already be washing frequently anyway.

Wash all your produce before eating it. Again, you should be doing this anyway.

Stay home if you feel sick. Manage your symptoms with OTC medications (unless told to do otherwise by your physician), and rest until you are well. Remember, not showing symptoms is not the same as no longer being contagious.

Wear a mask if you can, especially if you need to go to the hospital to be admitted (and can do so safely). With TB, cloth and surgical masks are not enough PPE alone to prevent the spread, but wearing one as an infected individual can help reduce the spread of droplets.

If you live in Kansas and need to stay informed, you can do so with the Kansas state government.

For the love of god, don’t drink raw milk. Pasteurized does not mean it’s “full of chemicals”, it means the harmful bacteria that resides in it is dead and is not going to give you TB. There’s a reason that following the invention of pasteurization infant mortality rates dropped from 125.1/1000 to only 15.8/1000 in the US, and it’s not because our immune systems suddenly upgraded.

Be safe, and go wash your hands again.

Love,