Total Of Six Diagnosed With Elizabethkingia From Illinois Have Died

(CBS) -- Six people from Illinois who were diagnosed with infections caused by a strain of Elizabethkingia anophelis bacteria have died, state health officials said Wednesday.

However state health officials cautioned that those patients had other underlying conditions that may have led to their deaths.

A total of 10 cases have been confirmed in the state.

The strain is different from an outbreak in Wisconsin, officials said. A woman from Lake Villa who was diagnosed with that strain died last month.

"Because of the Elizabethkingia outbreak in Wisconsin, [Illinois Department of Public Health] sent alerts to Illinois hospitals and laboratories in early February and again in March requesting that they report all cases of Elizabethkingia going as far back as January 1, 2014," according to a news release from the health department.

Elizabethkingia bacteria are commonly found in the environment, but do not typically cause human illness.

The majority of the infections identified to date in Illinois have been bloodstream infections and in patients who are over age 65.

Health officials are now looking at the 10 patients' charts, travel habits, who they interacted with and where to try and determine a source.

Doctor Nirav Shah, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, says there is a long way to go.

"What we have is almost like a big pile of puzzle pieces and with each couple of days that come by we get more and more data that allow us to arrange these pieces of the puzzle," Shah said.

To help prevent illness due to various types of bacteria, implement good health practices, wash your hands frequently, and make sure your health care providers do the same.