(4 Mar 2016) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus050072
The source of a bacterial bloodstream infection linked to 18 deaths in Wisconsin remains a mystery, health officials said as a team of federal and state investigators worked to find a common thread among those sickened.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent five employees to Wisconsin to help the Department of Health Services pinpoint a link to those that have been infected by the bacteria, Elizabethkingia.
Forty-four people in southern and southeastern Wisconsin have tested positive for the infection, and all have serious underlying health conditions,
The majority of those sickened are over age 65 and none are children, she said.
At this point, the source of the infection remains elusive.
Interviews with those infected were being done by CDC and state investigators.
After the initial cases were reported and state health officials notified local partners, the number of cases began to grow steadily with one dating back to November 2015.
The CDC said that although Elizabethkingia is a common organism in the environment, including water and soil, it rarely causes infections. A variety of potential sources, including healthcare products, water sources and the environment, was being tested, the CDC said, but none of these have been found to be a source of the bacteria.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
