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Meningitis Cases, Deaths Up Again
Another 18 cases of fungal meningitis have been identified in the past 24 hours, the CDC reported, and one more patient has died.
As before, Tennessee continues to have more cases of the fungal disease -- linked to three lots of an injectable steroid used to control back pain -- than any other state.
Five more cases have been identified in the state – which was the first to report the outbreak -- bringing the total there to 44. All told, the CDC has been informed of 137 cases in 10 states, with 12 deaths.
The new death was reported in Florida, which now has a total of six cases, up from four earlier in the week.
Tennessee health officials told MedPage Today that the upper limit of people in the state exposed to the steroid -- preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate – is about 1,000.
But they said only about 5% of those injected with the drug have developed the typical symptoms of the fungal infection -- fever, new or worsening headache, nausea, and new neurological deficit consistent with deep brain stroke.
No new exposures are likely – the three contaminated lots have been recalled, as have all products made by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass.
But officials say the incubation period of the fungus involved is not known, and expect to identify new cases for several weeks.
Aside from Tennessee and Florida, Indiana, Michigan and Virginia each reported three new cases, bringing their totals to 15, 28, and 27, respectively. Maryland and New Jersey each identified one more case, for totals of eight and two, respectively.
There have been no cases reported west of Minnesota, although some of the suspect steroid was shipped to Texas, Idaho, and California. Drugs sent to pain clinics in Nevada were recalled before any were used, the CDC said.
All told, the company shipped 17,676 vials of the steroid to pain clinics in 23 states. It was used in epidural injections to help control back pain.
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