A Systematic Review of the Outbreak of Elizabethkingia Anophelis

Abstract

The recent outbreak of Elizabethkingia anophelis in the Midwestern states of USA caused a number of deaths. Notably, these deaths occurred due to E. anophelis causing neonatal meningitis, bacteraemia, sepsis, blood stream infections and respiratory infections. These infections may pose serious threats to public health. This systematic review is meant to develop a deeper insight into the current status of E. anophelis related evidence and to highlight areas that need further research. Reviewing the existing literature will help other researchers to identify and address the knowledge gaps. Various free access databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Science Direct were employed for literature survey. All articles published since 2011, when the outbreak was reported for the first time, were consulted for this systematic review. Research related to this subject is in its earlier stages and little information is currently available. Future studies must focus on the molecular basis, control, prevention, and therapeutics of E. anophelis to mitigate its increasing risk. This review is meant to provide baseline data for future research. Scientific community must carry out research on the infections caused by E. anophelis mosquito, else it may result in a disastrous outbreak. Copyright (c) 2021 NoshabaRani, BrairaWahid

Keywords

• Elizabethkingia anophelis
• meningitis
• phylogenetics
• strain diversity