Wisconsin outbreak of blood infections has not occurred in Crawford County
By Correne Martin
An outbreak of deadly bloodstream infections caused by bacteria called Elizabethkingia is under investigation in Wisconsin. Since Nov. 1, there have been 48 cases of Elizabethkingia anophelis infections, including 18 related deaths, according to the Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health.
Crawford County Public Health Director Gloria Wall confirmed that Crawford County and the surrounding counties have not seen any cases of the infections.
“It’s mostly over on the other side of the state,” she said, “and it’s mostly very ill people who are getting it.”
Affected counties include Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Jefferson, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sauk, Sheboygan, Washington and Waukesha, according to the Wisconsin DHS website (dhs.wisconsin.gov).
The majority of patients acquiring this infection are over the age of 65, and all patients have a history of at least one underlying serious illness. Signs and symptoms include fever, shortness of breath, chills or cellulitis. Confirmation of the illness requires a laboratory test.
Currently, the source of the infections is unknown and the DHS is working to contain the outbreak. The department has alerted health care providers, infection preventionists and laboratories statewide and provided information as well as treatment guidance for the outbreak. After that initial guidance was sent, there has been a rapid identification of cases and health care providers have been able to treat and improve outcomes for patients.
An infectious disease expert at told ABC News last week that infections from the bacteria are rare but that they are more likely to occur in health care settings when the bacteria contaminates medical equipment. Outbreaks have been associated with contaminated ventilators or contaminated injectable medication or tube feeding and then it gets into the blood stream.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “investigators have not been able to find a medical product, single facility, food source or other means of exposure that could explain how dozens of people—mostly elderly residents of central and southeastern Wisconsin—have become ill from the bacteria.”
