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Illinois death linked to Elizabethkingia bacteria that caused outbreak in Wisconsin

A death in Illinois has been linked to the same strain of bacteria that has caused an unprecedented outbreak of infection in Wisconsin and one case in Michigan.
Medical Care / Hospital / Stethoscope

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A death in Illinois has been linked to the same strain of bacteria that has caused an unprecedented outbreak of infection in Wisconsin and one case in Michigan.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Tuesday, April 12, 2016, an Illinois resident died after contracting an infection from the bacterium Elizabethkingia.

The department’s been working with federal and state health officials to investigate the outbreak.

The Illinois resident who died was from the northern part of the state and had underlying health conditions.

Wisconsin is reporting 57 confirmed cases, including 18 deaths. Michigan reports one confirmed case, including one death.

The bacterium is named for Elizabeth O. King, a bacteriologist who studied meningitis in infants. It’s common in the environment, including water and soil, but it rarely causes infections.

Related:  CDC and Wisconsin Infection Control looking into rise of rare blood infection

 

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