Investigators have not been able to pinpoint the source inciting 44 cases of the bacterial blood infection Elizabethkingia anopheles that has resulted in the death of 18 people. The CDC has identified two more suspected cases and is calling the outbreak the largest of its kind, according to the Journal Sentinel.
The CDC currently has eight investigators in Wisconsin interviewing patients and families in an attempt to establish commonalities in hopes of determining the source. To date, investigators have not been able to tie the outbreak to medical product, single facility, food source or other means of exposure. As of now, the only identified commonality is most of those infected are 65 or older.
Sign up for our FREE E-Weekly for more coverage like this sent to your inbox!
Test results from the two suspected cases are awaiting confirmation. Officials have not specified as to whether those patients are simply ill or have died.
More articles on infection control:
HPV vaccination rates highest amongst girls in Hispanic communities, study finds
Swedish Medical Center faces lawsuit after former employee puts 3,000 patients at risk of HIV, hepatitis
Can N95 respirators offer healthcare workers more protection than surgical masks?