MADISON, WI (AP)-- Another death in Wisconsin has been linked to an unprecedented outbreak of a bacteria known as Elizabethkingia.
Eighteen people who have been diagnosed with the bloodstream infection have died in Wisconsin. State health officials say most are over 65 and have a serious underlying health condition.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says two more cases have been identified, bringing the total number of people diagnosed with the bacteria to 62.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been working with state officials to identify a source of the bacteria that began showing up in Wisconsin in November. Medical experts say the bacteria is found throughout the environment, but is usually not harmful.
A resident in West Michigan died from a blood infection caused by the same bacteria earlier this month.
