2016 United States Elizabethkingia outbreak
{{Short description|Disease outbreak in the United States}}
{{update|date=January 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox event
| title = 2016 United States Elizabethkingia anophelis outbreak
| image = File:Wisconsin in United States.svg
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| caption = Wisconsin, in red, the location of 63 confirmed cases as of June 16, 2016
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| english_name =
| time =
| duration =
| date = {{start date|2015|11|01}} — present
| venue =
| location = Wisconsin, western Michigan, and Illinois, United States
| coordinates =
| also_known_as =
| type = Disease outbreak
| theme =
| cause = Elizabethkingia anophelis
| first_reporter =
| budget =
| patron =
| organisers =
| filmed_by =
| participants =
| outcome =
| casualties1 =
{{plainlist|
- Cases / Deaths (as of June 16, 2016){{cite web|title=Multistate Outbreak of Infections Caused by Elizabethkingia anophelis|url=https://www.cdc.gov/elizabethkingia/outbreaks/index.html|website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)|access-date=June 19, 2016|date=June 16, 2016|archive-date=April 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415161200/http://www.cdc.gov/elizabethkingia/outbreaks/index.html|url-status=live}}
- Wisconsin: 63 / 18
- Michigan: 1 / 1
- Illinois: 1 / 1}}
| casualties2 =
| casualties3 =
| reported injuries =
| reported missing =
| reported property damage =
| burial =
| inquiries =
| inquest =
| coroner =
| arrests =
| suspects =
| accused =
| convicted =
| charges =
| trial =
| verdict =
| convictions =
| sentence =
| publication_bans =
| litigation =
| awards =
| url =
| blank_label =
| blank1_label =
| blank2_label =
| website =
| notes =
}}
An outbreak of Elizabethkingia anophelis infections centered in Wisconsin Wisconsin Department of Health Services: "[https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disease/elizabethkingia.htm Wisconsin 2016 Elizabethkingia anophelis outbreak] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427173937/https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disease/elizabethkingia.htm |date=2023-04-27 }}", last revised: March 30, 2016.{{cite journal |last1=Perrin |first1=Amandine |last2=Larsonneur |first2=Elise |last3=Nicholson |first3=Ainsley C. |last4=Edwards |first4=David J. |last5=Gundlach |first5=Kristin M. |last6=Whitney |first6=Anne M. |last7=Gulvik |first7=Christopher A. |last8=Bell |first8=Melissa E. |last9=Rendueles |first9=Olaya |last10=Cury |first10=Jean |last11=Hugon |first11=Perrine |last12=Clermont |first12=Dominique |last13=Enouf |first13=Vincent |last14=Loparev |first14=Vladimir |last15=Juieng |first15=Phalasy |last16=Monson |first16=Timothy |last17=Warshauer |first17=David |last18=Elbadawi |first18=Lina I. |last19=Walters |first19=Maroya Spalding |last20=Crist |first20=Matthew B. |last21=Noble-Wang |first21=Judith |last22=Borlaug |first22=Gwen |last23=Rocha |first23=Eduardo P. C. |last24=Criscuolo |first24=Alexis |last25=Touchon |first25=Marie |last26=Davis |first26=Jeffrey P. |last27=Holt |first27=Kathryn E. |last28=McQuiston |first28=John R. |last29=Brisse |first29=Sylvain |title=Evolutionary dynamics and genomic features of the Elizabethkingia anophelis 2015 to 2016 Wisconsin outbreak strain |journal=Nature Communications |date=24 May 2017 |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=15483 |doi=10.1038/ncomms15483 |pmid=28537263 |language=en |issn=2041-1723|pmc=5458099 |bibcode=2017NatCo...815483P }} is thought to have led to the death of at least 20 people in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois.{{cite web |url=https://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 |title=A mysterious infection may have killed 18 people in Wisconsin, and health officials aren't sure why |website=Msn.com |access-date=March 11, 2016 |archive-url=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 |archive-date=March 13, 2016 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/rare-elizabethkingia-bacteria-outbreak-infects-44-wisconsin-killing/story?id=37399793 |title=Rare Elizabethkingia Bacteria Outbreak Infects 44 in Wisconsin, Killing 18 – ABC News |website=Abcnews.go.com |date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=March 11, 2016 |archive-date=March 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311025039/http://abcnews.go.com/Health/rare-elizabethkingia-bacteria-outbreak-infects-44-wisconsin-killing/story?id=37399793 |url-status=live }}{{cite news|url=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/|title=The mysterious infection that might be behind 17 deaths in Wisconsin has spread to a second state|author=Sarah Kaplan|date=18 March 2016|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=18 March 2016|archive-date=18 March 2016|archive-url=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/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last1=Gallardo|first1=Michelle|title=Illinois Death Linked to Elizabethkingia Outbreak That Killed 18|url=http://abc7chicago.com/health/illinois-death-linked-to-elizabethkingia-outbreak-that-killed-18/1287763/|website=ABC 7 Eyewitness News|publisher=WLS-TV|access-date=April 14, 2016|archive-date=April 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414200630/http://abc7chicago.com/health/illinois-death-linked-to-elizabethkingia-outbreak-that-killed-18/1287763/|url-status=live}}
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).{{cite news|last=Ehlke |first=Gretchen |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/source-of-bloodstream-infection-in-wisconsin-unknown/2016/03/09/e1235934-e60e-11e5-a9ce-681055c7a05f_story.html |archive-url=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 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 10, 2016 |title=Source of bloodstream infection in Wisconsin unknown |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=March 11, 2016}}
Human infections by E. anophelis involve the bloodstream. Signs and symptoms can include fever, shortness of breath, chills, and cellulitis. Confirmation requires a laboratory test.
Statewide surveillance of the situation in Wisconsin was organized on January 5, 2016.WISN 12 News: "[http://www.wisn.com/health/dhs-investigates-bacterial-blood-infection-outbreak/38309806 Cases of blood infection reported in Southeast Wisconsin | 44 cases of Elizabethkingia anophelis reported since Nov. 1] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310113138/http://www.wisn.com/health/dhs-investigates-bacterial-blood-infection-outbreak/38309806 |date=2016-03-10 }}", March 3, 2016. 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.
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.
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".{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/cdc-offers-new-call-arms-nightmare-bacteria/ |title=CDC offers new call to arms on nightmare bacteria |website=PBS NewsHour |date=4 August 2015 |access-date=March 11, 2016 |archive-date=11 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311163833/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/cdc-offers-new-call-arms-nightmare-bacteria/ |url-status=live }}
{{clear}}
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.