Pharmaceutically Induced Meningitis Outbreak Under Way

October 9, 2012 by Sam Rolley

PHOTOS.COM

On Monday, health officials throughout the United States were working to identify victims of a rare form of meningitis spread to unsuspecting patients throughout the Nation by contaminated steroid injections.

The Centers for Disease Control believes that about 13,000 patients may have been exposed to the three lots of the steroid methylprednisolone acetate which was recalled from the New England Compounding Center Inc. in Framingham, Mass.

The CDC reported 105 cases in nine States on Monday, up from 91 cases on Sunday. According to the CDC, people who received the steroid injections between May and September in the following States may be at risk for the infection: 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.

The steroid shot reportedly was given to patients most often for relief of back pain.

NEEC, a pharmaceutical compounding company, was previously the subject of safety complaints and has suspended operations pending investigation.

Pharmaceutically Induced Meningitis Outbreak Under Way : Personal Liberty Digest™