Meningitis outbreak spreads to 15 states

The number of infections tied to a fungal meningitis outbreak has risen to 214 cases in 15 states, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday.

The CDC says the number of deaths stands at 15. On Sunday, the agency had announced 205 infections in 14 states.

The latest state to report a meningitis infection is Pennsylvania. Fourteen other states are now reporting cases, including: Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

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Is meningitis in your state?

The outbreak has been linked to methylprednisolone acetate steroid shots used for back pain made by a specialty pharmacy in Framingham, Mass. called the New England Compounding Center. The medication has been recalled, but officials have said the injections shipped to 76 facilities in 23 states and may have been given to up to 14,000 patients.

• Inside the New England Compounding Center

States that received injections include: California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas and West Virginia. However, because the company is licensed in all 50 states, there is a possibility products were used elsewhere.

The Food and Drug Administration also announced Monday that a possible meningitis case under investigation may be caused by another type of pain injection made by the compounding center, so-called triamcinolone acetonide. The cases of meningitis identified to date however have only been associated with methylprednisolone acetate.

Tennessee is the worst-hit state in the current outbreak with 53 cases, followed by Michigan with 46 cases.

On Friday, health officials determined that a June shipment of epidural steroids was not part of a recalled batch that has been linked to the deadly fungal meningitis outbreak.

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The CDC said on Friday that it became aware of the batch and officials were trying to determine whether it was part of the massive recall issued by the New England Compounding Center after the shots were linked to the outbreak.

At the CDC's main campus, officials say dozens of people are working day and night to bring a meningitis outbreak under control.

Dr. John Jernigan is a medical epidemiologist at the CDC, leading the clinical investigation team for the outbreak response. He says this infection, which is caused by a fungus, is very unusual.

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Deadly meningitis outbreak in U.S.

Meningitis is typically caused by a virus or bacteria. The type of meningitis that has been found in the investigation is caused by fungi Exserohilum and Aspergillus that are common in the environment, but rarely cause meningitis.

The fungi are common in dirt and grasses, but are making people sick because they somehow got into steroid injections for people with back pain or pain in other joints, such as the ankles, knees or shoulders. The form of fungal meningitis involved in the current outbreak is not contagious.

People who received the steroid injections in question should look for symptoms such as headaches, back pain and nausea. Given the fungi involved, patients with confirmed cases should receive two strong antifungal drugs, but those recommendations may change. Even if a patient shows symptoms tied to the outbreak but tests negative for fungus, they should still be treated for fungal meningitis. Officials have said the earlier doctors intervene, the greater chances a patient survives.

Health officials also said last week they saw a case in one person who received an injection to their ankle and developed symptoms consistent with a fungal joint infection, such as pain, redness and swelling. There are now two reported cases of joint infections linked to the outbreak.

[mmmalt]

rondezvu0012 and saasy4mom, my mom had a shot 3 weeks ago today and is still having the same symptoms as rendezvu0012. She has been to the ER twice and admitted to the hospital once for a UTI. That is all they can find wrong with her. The urologist gave her a clean bill of health this morning when it came to the UTI, but she is still throwing up. Cannot find a doctor that will listen. Pain management doc and CDC website is saying this injection was not tainted. Has to be something else out there making people sick. How did you get well again? We need help, desperately.

[Rondevu0012]

it is definitely Flu like symptoms.

[Rondevu0012]

I had this injection: from my pain management Doctor, he gave me 8 shots in my back for terrible chronic back pain. So now since I have had this procedure I did become sick. I ended up in the Emergency room for chills vomiting bad headaches and dizziness,confusion and my body ached like crazy and the emergency room doctor could not find anything wrong with me. He did give me an IV with pain medication for the headache to shout me up. Well the injections only last about two weeks and my back is back to square one. So my next visit to my pain management Doctor, he got made at me because I went to the emergency room and the doctor gave me a prescription and he didn't want to care for me any longer until I will get more injections. I was so confused that I agreed. But, there must be an angle surrounding me b/c my insurance lapsed and I couldn't get it. So now I see him tomorrow and I will tell him again my symptom. And I know I'm the record for this procedure but no one tried to contact me. Thanks for listening.

[Rondevu0012]

Correction!!
I had this injection: from my pain management Doctor, he gave me 8 shots in my back for terrible chronic back pain. So now since I have had this procedure I did become sick. I ended up in the Emergency room for chills vomiting bad headaches and dizziness,confusion and my body ached like crazy and the emergency room doctor could not find anything wrong with me. He did give me an IV with pain medication for the headache to shut me up. Well the injections only last about two weeks and my back is back to square one. So my next visit to my pain management Doctor, he got mad at me because I went to the emergency room and the E doctor gave me a prescription, So my PM Doctor said he didn't want to care for me any longer, until I get more injections. I was so confused that I agreed. But, there must be an angel surrounding me b/c my insurance lapsed until Jan 2013 and I couldn't get it today. So now I will see him tomorrow in the am and I will tell him again my symptom. And I know I am on the record for this procedure but no one has tried to contact me. Thanks for listening.

[OllieAnnie]

I have a intrathecal pump for Baclofen for spasticity since 1999. I once used an anestheselogist that used a compounded Baclofen rather than giving the brand name IV form. My pump became clogged in the pump and had to be replaced a couple years earlier than the expected life span. A new anesthesiologist said the compounded form probably clogged a filter and used only the brand name. The problem is the brand name cost 3-5 times more than the compounded form. Since the brand name costs $3000 - $5000, the drug companies that supply the brand names are getting a windfall profit since they are the safest are avaiable. I can see why physicians try to use compounded medicines to save the patients and insurance companies money

[Lerianis4]

Okay, ONE contaminated drug I could understand. 2 from the same company? That points to contamination of base materials (something that should never happen) or counterfeit base materials (another thing that should never happen).

This company needs to be shut down immediately until they get to the bottom of this and/or until they do a complete and through cleaning on all equipment.

To Saasy4Mom.... right in one. People CANNOT work 60 hour + workweeks for years without burning out mentally and/or physically.

[saasy4mom]

I hope they have to compensate a million patients for their suffering. Doctors need to start listening to sick people. We come to your office for treatment, not to be ignored. Please take annual vacations so you don't burn out as a doctor. You are but human. You can not run 8 cylinders 365 days per year and be productive, people die. You can help, take a vacation and get away to decompress. We don't ask for much, too often, only when we are really ill. Most people avoid the doctor at all cost. We like seeing you but not in your office. So if we have to come in, we are really at wits end, like having a frozen shoulder, or rotator cuff syndrome, an injury from work, if you will.


PLEASE TAKE YOUR VACATIONS SO YOU CAN CONTINUE TO FOCUS AND NOT BURN OUT! AN OUTBREAK (4)MONTHS AFTER THE FACT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED AND LIVES COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED............

[saasy4mom]

I tried to report this problem in Early July. I told my doctor that the shot had made me sick and I had a adverse reaction from it. I was blown off. Had they listened, maybe they could have caught this contamination (3) months earlier.