Injection drug contamination Meningitis breaks out in six states in the United States

Injection drug contamination Meningitis breaks out in six states in the United States The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on the 4th that a rare type of meningitis (meningiti) has broken out in six states...

Injection drug contamination Meningitis breaks out in six states in the United States The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on the 4th that an outbreak of a rare type of meningitis has killed five people and made at least 30 people sick. Health officials are worried that hundreds or even thousands of people in 23 states may be at risk of infection because of steroid painkiller injections. Health officials said that the epidemic may be caused by a spinal injection of drugs, and new cases of meningitis will definitely appear in the next few days. However, this type of meningitis is not transmitted from person to person. The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises doctors and medical professionals not to use drugs manufactured by the New England Compounding Center pharmacy in Massachusetts because the steroid painkillers it produces (mainly cervical dural injection drugs for back pain) are contaminated with fungus and may be related to the epidemic. CDC epidemiological experts said the contaminated drugs may be marketed to 23 states. According to current statistics, there are one case in North Carolina, two in Florida, four in Virginia, two in Maryland, one in Indiana, and the highest number in Tennessee, with a total of 25 cases, and the other two deaths occurred in Victoria and Maryland. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert in Nashville, Tennessee, said: "I am worried that the epidemic will spread and more cases may occur across the United States." Investigators are continuing to test and try to confirm the source of the epidemic. Doctors urge patients (mostly elderly) who have received injections of this painkiller in the past few months to see a doctor, especially those who experience severe headaches, fever, nausea, difficulty with balance, and slurred speech. Media reported that the New England Compound Center recalled its drugs last week and proactively closed the manufacturing center on the 1st of this month. The New York Times pointed out that the batch number of the contaminated drug (lot). numbers) are: 05212012@68; 06292012@26; 08102012@51. St. Mary's Medical Center in Indiana said on the 4th that at least 560 patients at the hospital had received injections of this drug, 60 of whom had received more than one injection. The hospital began to notify patients individually, and about 10 people developed symptoms.