Friday, October 26, 2012

State Health Departments Race to Respond to Meningitis Outbreak Despite Budget Cuts and Looming Sequester

October 26, 2012


ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Despite recently sustaining $2.5 billion in federal public health spending cuts and facing billions more in cuts under sequestration, public health departments across the nation are racing to detect cases of meningitis associated with the ongoing widespread outbreak and ensure at-risk patients are contacted, properly counseled, and offered proper treatment, as well as monitoring the removal of any tainted vials of the steroid believed to be behind the outbreak. The Tennessee Department of Health was the first organization to identify the outbreak and its source. As of October 25, the outbreak has resulted in 328 cases of fungal meningitis and 24 deaths spanning 18 states, with up to 14,000 individuals at risk in the 23 states where the contaminated steroids were distributed.

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