The source of the 2016 outbreak of bloodstream infections caused by Elizabethkingia anophelis bacteria that sickened 67 and contributed to the deaths of 18 people in Wisconsin may never be known, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
The health department came under scrutiny for its handling of the outbreak when reports surfaced in April 2016 that state health officials knew about a cluster of infections for months prior the department's March announcement to the public.
"To be clear, there was nothing we could share that would help people avoid the (EKA) bacteria. ... We issued our press release on March 2 because we felt, at that time, we had enough information to inform the public of what we knew about the outbreak, while limiting the risk of unwarranted, widespread fears," the department said in a May statement in response to a legislative inquiry about the timing of the outbreak announcement, according to the State Journal.
Sign up for our FREE E-Weekly for more coverage like this sent to your inbox!
Most of those infected were over the age of 65. It was not been determined whether the reported deaths were directly caused by the infection or other pre-existing comorbidities. CDC officials categorized the Wisconsin outbreak as the largest of its kind the organization has ever investigated.
"Despite many hours of investigation by disease detectives from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the CDC, it is possible we may never know the source of this outbreak," said Jennifer Miller, DHS spokeswoman, according to the State Journal.
Elizabethkingia can be found in soil, river water and reservoirs. While the bacteria rarely causes illness, morbidities most commonly associated with infections are neonatal meningitis or meningitis and infections of the blood and respiratory system in individuals with weakened immune symptoms. Approximately five to 10 cases are reported annually per state.
More articles on infection control:
How Orlando Health deploys predictive analytics to fight sepsis
Arkansas mumps activity continues, cases now over 2,700
Scientists create influenza breathalyzer