The deadly Elizabethkingia blood disease first reported in Wisconsin and Micigan has now spread to Illinois, according to an article on the Fox59 website.
The Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed one case of Elizabethkingia in a resident who died earlier this year.
The individual had the same strain of Elizabethkingia that has been confirmed in 57 patients in Wisconsin since November. Eighteen of those individuals have died. All of those infected had “at least one serious underlying illness” and most are older than 65, according to the Wisconsin of Health Services.
In March, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported a case of the infection in their state. At the time, a CDC spokesman told CNN the Michigan case was not a complete surprise, given that health departments across the country were asked to be on the lookout for Elizabethkingia infections after the outbreak in Wisconsin was identified.
The bacteria are commonly found in soil, river water and reservoirs but do not commonly cause illness in humans. People with compromised immune systems or serious underlying health conditions are more at risk of infection. Previous outbreaks have been associated with health care settings.
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