 Well, it's a little known fatal syndrome, but sepsis has come to the forefront with Minnesota health officials after a $20 million settlement paid out to the family of a 30-year-old woman in Maple Grove who died of the syndrome just days after giving birth. Sepsis occurs when the body's reaction to an infection affects healthy tissues and organs in the body, possibly causing organ failure. There's little public knowledge about the dangerous condition and hospitals and medical officials warn of the dangers of sepsis. When the body is exposed to an infectious agent, it normally has immune response, which is supposed to contain and control that infection. And that's where things should stop. But in case of sepsis, sometimes this response gets dysregulated to the point that it attacks the normal cells in the body. And the chemicals that are released, they do cause a lot of damage to multiple organs. In Minnesota, 439 people died of sepsis in 2015 up from 261 a decade earlier. Next week our branded reporter Clayton Castle will have more on sepsis and how local hospitals and health systems are taking measures to lower the sepsis rate in Minnesota. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.