By KATIE MOISSE Oct. 19, 2012
One more person has died from fungal meningitis linked to tainted steroid injections, raising the death toll for the outbreak to 21.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has increased the tally of cases to 271 -- 268 cases of fungal meningitis and three cases of joint infections. The growing outbreak, which spans 16 states, has been linked to contaminated vials of methylprednisolone acetate, an injectable steroid used to treat back and joint pain.
For a map of cases by state, click here.
Sealed vials of the steroid, made by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., contained Exserohilum rostratum, a fungus found in soil and plants. It's unclear how the fungus landed in the sealed vials.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 26 cases of Exserohilum meningitis, as well as one case each of Aspergillus and Cladosporium meningitis.
To continue reading story and view video click here
No comments:
Post a Comment