Authorities have identified the seventh case of meningitis in Illinois, Fox News reported.
Julie Morita, the commissioner of Chicago's Department of Public Health (CDPH), said that this is sixth meningitis case in the city and the seventh all over Illinois.
The outbreak is most prevalent among African-American gay and bisexual communities in the state, according to the health department. One patient has already died, while another is at a hospital. Two patients, meanwhile, are currently at a rehabilitation facility, but the health department said, the seriousness of the infection is not determined at this point.
Meningitis cases have been escalating since June. "Even though the number of cases is small, due to the severity of disease, we must continue our intensive, focused response," said Morita in a statement, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The health department is calling on the public to get vaccinated against the disease, following a caucus with LGBT and African-American groups. "We know that vaccination is the best tool to end this outbreak and we continue to partner with local community advocates and health care providers to find and vaccinate our most vulnerable residents," the commissioner added.
"We applaud CDPH's ongoing efforts to stop the spread of meningitis," said Alderman Will Burns, who attended the caucus, according to Vaccine News Daily. "We will continue to work with CDPH and community organizations to encourage residents to get vaccinated."
Over 5,190 vaccinations have already been administered in the past month. The full list of vaccination locations in Chicago can be found at the City Of Chicago's site.
