A death in Illinois has been linked to the same strain of bacteria that has caused an unprecedented outbreak of infection in Wisconsin and one case in Michigan. The Illinois Department of Public Health announced that an Illinois resident died after contracting an infection from the bacterium Elizabethkingia.
The Illinois resident who died was from the northern part of the state and had underlying health conditions. Wisconsin is reporting 57 confirmed cases, including 18 deaths. Michigan reports one confirmed case, including one death.
The bacterium is named for Elizabeth O. King, a bacteriologist who studied meningitis in infants. It's common in the environment, including water and soil, but it rarely causes infections.
The department's been working with federal and state health officials to investigate the outbreak.
