A nationwide shortage of a protein used to help detect tuberculosis via a skin test has prompted Kansas City, Mo. health officials to limit and ration TB skin testing, according to local news station WDAF-TV.
The Kansas City, Mo.-based health department is no longer offering routine TB skin tests required by colleges and employers due to the shortage of tuberculin.
The tests are being saved for people who have had contact with a suspected TB case or travelers who are at a heightened risk of contracting the disease.
The CDC expects the shortage of tuberculin to last up to 10 months, according to the station.
A $100 blood test to detect TB is available at the Kansas City health department.