Given the general infrequency of Elizabethkingia infections, the winter 2015-16 outbreak in Wisconsin is presenting a novel challenge for state and federal health authorities, as well as to providers working directly with patients. Despite the rarity of this health issue, multiple health organizations are providing information for the public about the bacteria. The emergent nature of these infections is also prompting coverage from a variety of regional and national media outlets.
Links to resources and reporting follow.
Health Care Resources
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Multistate outbreak of infections caused by Elizabethkingia anophelis
Wisconsin Department of Health Services guide to Elizabethkingia: General information and instructions for health professionals
Wisconsin Department of Health Services Elizabethkingia resources and image library
University of Wisconsin Health: Elizabethkingia Q&A with infectious disease specialist Dr. Nasia Safdar
Illinois Department of Public Health: Elizabethkingia in Illinois
LPSN: List of prokaryotic names with standing in nomenclature: Genus Elizabethkingia
MicrobeWiki: Elizabethkingia anophelis
Wisconsin Public Radio
March 3: Federal health officials help in search for deadly bacteria: More than a dozen deaths in southern Wisconsin linked to Elizabethkingia. Listen and learn more
March 9: Health officials search for clues as deadly bacteria outbreak grows: Wisconsin cases of Elizabethkingia climbs to 48. Listen and learn more
March 9 on “Central Time”: A crash course in Elizabethkingia, the rare bacterial infection spreading across Wisconsin: Doctor says the general public should not fear infection. Listen and learn more
Wisconsin Public Television
March 11 on “Here And Now”: Dr. Michael Bell, deputy director for the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discusses the outbreak and how it is being tracked. Watch and learn more
Additional Media Coverage
STAT on March 14: Deadly disease outbreak in Wisconsin baffles public health officials
Wired on March 16: A mysterious disease is killing people in Wisconsin
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on March 23: Questions and answers about the Elizabethkingia bacteria outbreak in Wisconsin
Wisconsin State Journal on April 13: Bacterial outbreak in Wisconsin remains a mystery
Wikipedia: 2016 United States Elizabethkingia outbreak
Editor’s note: This guide has been updated with additional links.
This report was produced in a partnership between Wisconsin Public Radio, PBS Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension. @ Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
