This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at OK State chapter.

What do you think of Elizabethkingia anophelis?

Elizabethkingia anoplhelis is a gram-negative rod shaped human pathogen that is currently being investigated by many health and disease organizations including the Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois Department of Health Services, along with the Center of Disease Control (CDC).

The bacteria was named after Elizabeth O. King, a CDC microbiologist, who first discovered it in 1959. Elizabethkingia is known to be resistant to most antibiotics. The bacteria has also shown up as the cause of some meningitis cases around the world, and can cause sepsis and skin infections. It is more associated with individuals over 65 years old, infants, and those with weakened immune systems.

Outbreaks of this bacterium have been reported in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois. First reports were taken in Wisconsin, where a majority of the cases were congregated, in December of 2015. Since then single cases appeared in Illinois and Michigan early on in 2016, after the CDC sent out a nationwide call for similar cases. As of June 16, 2016, there have been twenty confirmed deaths between confirmed sixty-five cases that were reported between the three states, according to the CDC.

As of now this bacterium remains a mystery to the scientific community, even with some universities, such as Oklahoma State, contributing in the research to bring about more potential answers.