Elizabethkingia Outbreak: Rare Blood Infection Spreads From Wisconsin To Michigan

Elizabethkingia, a rare blood infection with an unknown cause, has already sickened dozens in Wisconsin since November and has been reported in a Michigan resident.

According to CNN News, the Michigan Department of Health declared on Thursday that Elizabethkingia has been indentified in an older adult. The elder who was also suffering of some other underlying health conditions has died as a result of the infection. The Michigan Department of Health did not release other details about the patient.

Since November 2015, the Wisconsin Department of Public Health has already reported 54 cases of the Elizabethkingia blood infection identified in the state, according to Medical Daily. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has declared that most of the patients acquiring this rare blood infection are over the age of 65. All patients have also suffering "of at least one underlying serious illness", according to the official statement.

Among those 54 cases of Elizabethkingia blood infection reported in Wisconsin, 17 of the infected individuals have died. It is not confirmed yet that Elizabethkingia was the cause of patients' death or the other underlying health conditions.

The rare blood infection is casued by the Elizabethkingia anophelis bacteria that is commonly found in reservoirs, river water and soil. Elizabethkingia anophelis does not commonly cause illness in humans but people with serious underlying health conditions or compromised immune systems are more at risk of infection.

The infection is difficult to treat because it is often antibiotic resistant. Among the symptoms of Elizabethkingia infection are included chills, shortness of breath, fever and cellulitis. Previous outbreaks were linked to healthcare settings but the source of the current outbreak has not yet been identified.

Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, declared that Michigan has worked closely with Wisconsin Health Department and the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to "ensure early recognition of potential cases in our state".

According to CDC spokesman Tom Skinner, after the outbreak in Wisconsin was identified the health departments across the country were asked to be on the lookout for Elizabethkingia infections, therefore the case in Michigan is not a complete surprise.