2016 United States Elizabethkingia outbreak explained

2016 United States Elizabethkingia anophelis outbreak
Date: — present
Location:Wisconsin, western Michigan, and Illinois, United States
Type:Disease outbreak
Cause:Elizabethkingia anophelis
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Casualties1:
  • Cases / Deaths (as of June 16, 2016)[1]
  • Wisconsin: 63 / 18
  • Michigan: 1 / 1
  • Illinois: 1 / 1
Reported Deaths:20
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An outbreak of Elizabethkingia anophelis infections centered in Wisconsin [2] [3] is thought to have led to the death of at least 20 people in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois.[4] [5] [6] [7]

History

As of March 2016, it was reported to be the largest outbreak of Elizabethkingia anophelis-caused disease investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).[8]

Human infections by E. anophelis involve the bloodstream.[2] Signs and symptoms can include fever, shortness of breath, chills, and cellulitis.[2] Confirmation requires a laboratory test.[2]

Statewide surveillance of the situation in Wisconsin was organized on January 5, 2016.[9] Cases had been reported from Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Jefferson, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sauk, Sheboygan, Washington, Waukesha, and Winnebago Counties); Illinois; and western Michigan as of April 13, 2016.[9] [6]

Between November 1, 2015 and March 30, 2016, 62 cases of E. anophelis infections were reported to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health.[2]

The severity of the outbreak is reflected in a statement by the CDC that "the agency sees a handful of Elizabethkingia infections around the country each year, but the outbreaks rarely involve more than a couple of cases at a time. To have dozens of cases at once — and more than a third of them possibly fatal — is startling".[10]

In 2017, genomics researchers determined that "a disrupted DNA repair mutY gene [...] probably contributed to the high evolutionary rate of the outbreak strain and may have increased its adaptability," but the source was not identified.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Multistate Outbreak of Infections Caused by Elizabethkingia anophelis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). June 19, 2016. June 16, 2016. April 15, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160415161200/http://www.cdc.gov/elizabethkingia/outbreaks/index.html. live.
  2. Wisconsin Department of Health Services: "Wisconsin 2016 Elizabethkingia anophelis outbreak ", last revised: March 30, 2016.
  3. Perrin . Amandine . Larsonneur . Elise . Nicholson . Ainsley C. . Edwards . David J. . Gundlach . Kristin M. . Whitney . Anne M. . Gulvik . Christopher A. . Bell . Melissa E. . Rendueles . Olaya . Cury . Jean . Hugon . Perrine . Clermont . Dominique . Enouf . Vincent . Loparev . Vladimir . Juieng . Phalasy . Monson . Timothy . Warshauer . David . Elbadawi . Lina I. . Walters . Maroya Spalding . Crist . Matthew B. . Noble-Wang . Judith . Borlaug . Gwen . Rocha . Eduardo P. C. . Criscuolo . Alexis . Touchon . Marie . Davis . Jeffrey P. . Holt . Kathryn E. . McQuiston . John R. . Brisse . Sylvain . Evolutionary dynamics and genomic features of the Elizabethkingia anophelis 2015 to 2016 Wisconsin outbreak strain . Nature Communications . 24 May 2017 . 8 . 1 . 15483 . 10.1038/ncomms15483 . 28537263 . en . 2041-1723. 5458099 . 2017NatCo...815483P .
  4. Web site: A mysterious infection may have killed 18 people in Wisconsin, and health officials aren't sure why . Msn.com . March 11, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160313080137/http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-mysterious-infection-may-have-killed-18-people-in-wisconsin-and-health-officials-aren%E2%80%99t-sure-why/ar-AAgC3fq . March 13, 2016 . dead .
  5. Web site: Rare Elizabethkingia Bacteria Outbreak Infects 44 in Wisconsin, Killing 18 – ABC News . Abcnews.go.com . March 4, 2016 . March 11, 2016 . March 11, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160311025039/http://abcnews.go.com/Health/rare-elizabethkingia-bacteria-outbreak-infects-44-wisconsin-killing/story?id=37399793 . live .
  6. News: The mysterious infection that might be behind 17 deaths in Wisconsin has spread to a second state. Sarah Kaplan. 18 March 2016. Washington Post. 18 March 2016. 18 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160318133109/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/03/18/the-mysterious-infection-that-might-be-behind-17-deaths-in-wisconsin-has-spread-to-a-second-state/. live.
  7. Web site: Gallardo. Michelle. Illinois Death Linked to Elizabethkingia Outbreak That Killed 18. ABC 7 Eyewitness News. WLS-TV. April 14, 2016. April 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160414200630/http://abc7chicago.com/health/illinois-death-linked-to-elizabethkingia-outbreak-that-killed-18/1287763/. live.
  8. News: Ehlke . Gretchen . Source of bloodstream infection in Wisconsin unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20160310113242/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/source-of-bloodstream-infection-in-wisconsin-unknown/2016/03/09/e1235934-e60e-11e5-a9ce-681055c7a05f_story.html . dead . March 10, 2016 . . March 11, 2016.
  9. WISN 12 News: "Cases of blood infection reported in Southeast Wisconsin | 44 cases of Elizabethkingia anophelis reported since Nov. 1 ", March 3, 2016.
  10. Web site: CDC offers new call to arms on nightmare bacteria . PBS NewsHour . 4 August 2015 . March 11, 2016 . 11 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160311163833/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/cdc-offers-new-call-arms-nightmare-bacteria/ . live .

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