So Far, There Have Been 28 Cases of Deadly Tuberculosis Reported in Maine in 2025

If you are a lover of history, or you played a lot of Oregon Trail when you were in school, there is a good chance that you know a little about the diseases claimed the lives of millions of people over the centuries.

Diseases that we never really worry about anymore.  Dysentery, smallpox, and tuberculosis, for example.

Believe it or not, one of those deadly diseases has reared its head in Maine.

The state has seen an uptick in the number of tuberculosis cases since the beginning of 2025.

According to an article on the KJ website, despite the fact that there had been 28 confirmed TB cases in Maine since the beginning of 2025, there is no outbreak in the state.

A spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control, Lindsay Hammes, said the agency is aware of three active cases tied to the Greater Portland area.  She explained that the CDC is already doing its usual response work.

So far, the cases are not genetically linked, which means they were not spread from one person to another.  The CDC is also working to find people who may have been in close contact with those who tested positive and screening them if necessary.

Authorities also say that there are no truths to the rumors that there has been an outbreak in a shelter frequented by asylum seekers.

The article explains that, nationally, tuberculosis cases have been on the rise for the last few years.  Specifically, they have been rising since early 2021.  There were 10,347 cases reported in 2024, up from 9,622 in 2023, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency has attributed the rise to increases in international travel, migration and disruptions in health care during the pandemic leading to delayed diagnosis and care.

A few centuries ago, a TB diagnoses meant a slow, agonizing death.  These days, fortunately, it can be treated with antibiotics.