About Elizabethkingia

Elizabethkingia is a genus of bacteria commonly found in the environment worldwide and has been detected in soil, river water and reservoirs.  However, it rarely makes people sick.

Cases are diagnosed through culture of body fluids, most often blood testing. Elizabethkingia has mostly caused meningitis in newborn babies and meningitis or bloodstream and respiratory infections in people with weakened immune systems.

About 5-10 cases per state per year are reported in the United States, with a few small, localized outbreaks reported in both the US and other countries, usually in healthcare settings.