The Wisconsin outbreak involving a rare blood infection that started in November has spread to a second state, health officials have confirmed.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) stated that an older adult with underlying health problems, who is from West Michigan, has tested positive for the Elizabethkingia anophelis bacteria. The state's health officials have already started working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the issue.
"Michigan has worked closely with the CDC and Wisconsin Health Department to alert our provider community about the Wisconsin outbreak and to ensure early recognition of potential cases in our state," said Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive of the MDHHS. "Timely diagnosis is key to ensuring patients receive appropriate treatment, and we will continue to provide updates and guidance as additional information becomes available."
The outbreak has affected 54 people with 17 fatalities so far in southeastern and southern Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Division of Public Health (DPH) reported. Officials do not know if the bacterial infection was the cause of death, but every single person who was infected had at least one serious underlying health issue. The majority of the cases involved older adults.
"Determining the source of the bacteria affecting patients in Wisconsin is a complex process," Wisconsin Health Officer Karen McKeown said earlier this month. "While we recognize there will be many questions we cannot yet answer, we feel it is important to share the limited information we have about the presence of the bacteria, as we continue our work to determine the source."
The DPH added that CDC officials and state officials are testing samples from the environment, water source and even health care products to try to uncover the culprit behind the outbreak. In Wisconsin, the counties that have been affected include Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Jefferson, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sauk, Sheboygan, Washington and Waukesha.
The bacteria, which can mainly be found in soil and river water, will typically not lead to illnesses. In people with serious health issues, however, an infection can cause symptoms such as fever, chills, shortness of breath and a skin infection called cellulitis. Treatment can be difficult because the bacteria tends to be resistant to antibiotics.
