CDC: Deadly Bacterial Infection Is Surging, MI Residents Affected

With the change in weather in Michigan, many residents have been dealing with illnesses connected to seasonal allergies and the typical cold and flu. But the CDC is warning health officials in the Great Lakes state that another serious and deadly illness with similar symptoms is spreading and cases are rising.

CDC Warns Michigan Health Officials Of Dangerous Bacterial Infection

The CDC has alerted Michigan health officials that bacterial infections causing severe symptoms including death are beginning to circulate in the U.S. The CDC warns of an increase in potentially deadly cases of "meningitis and bloodstream infections" caused by a bacterium called Neisseria meningitidis or meningococcus, specifically serogroup "Y" are rising. With two states in the U.S. currently responding to statewide outbreaks of meningococcal disease, the CDC warns residents in Michigan and the U.S. that symptoms can progress rapidly and could lead to death.

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Symptoms can include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light, and, in some cases, a reddish-purple rash. The disease can progress rapidly to death within hours if not treated promptly with antibiotics. According to the CDC, it takes close or lengthy contact to spread these bacteria that cause meningitis. This usually happens via coughing, sneezing, living in the same household, and kissing.  Fortunately, they are not as contagious as germs that cause the common cold or the flu. Close contacts of someone with meningococcal disease should receive antibiotics immediately. The CDC recommends vaccination against meningococcal disease to help stop the disease from spreading.