One more death has been tied to the of Elizabethkingia outbreak in Wisconsin, according to updated information from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to 18.
This most recent death is linked to a possible case of infection, whereas the 17 previous Wisconsin deaths were tied to confirmed cases. An additional death linked to a confirmed infection occurred earlier this month in Michigan.
In Wisconsin, the number of laboratory confirmed cases have been updated from 52 to 56. Six additional cases are suspected.
Most of those infected are over the age of 65. It has not been determined whether these deaths were directly caused by the infection or other pre-existing comorbidities.
The CDC has assisted the WDHS with testing samples from potential infection sources like healthcare products and water sources. The cause of the outbreak remains unknown.
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