Rare Bacterial Infection Linked to Deaths in Wisconsin, Michigan

A rare bacterial infection may have contributed to the deaths of 17 people in Wisconsin since November 2015 and one death in Michigan.

But young or generally healthy people don't have much to worry about, since cases of the unusual infection have only been reported in older people who already have a serious illness.

Elizabethkingia is a bacteria that can cause bloodstream infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's common in soil, water sources and in the environment, and it doesn't usually make people sick. About half a dozen people report cases every year in each state, but 54 cases have been reported in Wisconsin since November 2015.

It is not contagious, and infections generally happen in people with weakened immune systems.

Most of the Elizabethkingia patients in Wisconsin are older than 65, and they all have had at least one underlying serious illness that compromised their immune systems, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

A West Michigan resident who fits that profile and who recently died was also found to have had the infection, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Julie Lund, communications director for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, confirmed they have not yet determined if the deaths were caused by the bacteria or by the patients’ existing illnesses or both.

“The median age of those who have died is 77,” Lund said in an email. “No children have been affected. People who are young and generally healthy should not be concerned. If detected early, the infection is typically treatable with an antibiotic regimen.”

Symptoms of Elizabethkingia are similar to other infections and can include fever, shortness of breath, chills or cellulitis. A lab test is needed to confirm the illness.

In Wisconsin, infections have been reported in Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Jefferson, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sauk, Sheboygan, Washington and Waukesha counties.

The CDC has identified the particular strain of the bacteria in this outbreak as Elizabethkingia anophelis, which means all of the bacteria involved in these cases are identical organisms. This also means the bacteria may come from the same source.

Officials have collected samples from private homes and health care facilities, testing items such as health care products, water sources and other items in the patients' environments.

“We are looking at many possible sources and have not ruled anything out definitely at this point,” Lund said. “We can tell you we are reasonably certain that groundwater is not the source.”

Epidemiologists and laboratory partners from the CDC are on site to help with the investigation, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services is also working with the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Photo: Elizabethkingia anophelis growing on a blood agar plate. Photo courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Special Bacteriology Reference Lab.