State public health officials reported 10 Illinois residents were diagnosed with infections caused by Elizabethkingia, according to Chicago Tribune.
Here are five things to know:
1. Officials report the disease infecting Illinois residents is a different strain of bacteria than the one found in Wisconsin residents.
2. Of those infected in Illinois, six people have died. However, officials have not determined if the bacteria was the cause or a contributing factor to their deaths.
3. The majority of those infected were over 65 years old.
4. Most of the Illinois Elizabethkingia cases resulted in a bloodstream infection.
5. Because medical providers were not required to report Elizabethkingia cases before this year's outbreak, Illinois health officials are finding it difficult to uncover links among those infected.
More articles on quality & infection control:
Augmedix, Google Glass aims to maximize physician productivity — 5 observations
Patient registry software market to hit $2.1B — 8 points
FreshLoc creates app that instantly offers equipment measurements — 3 notes
