U.S. Meningitis Outbreak Grows Deadlier

Categories: Recall

U.S. Meningitis Outbreak Grows Deadlier

The U.S. Center for Disease Control announced that as of October 4, 2012, a total of 35 cases in six states have been identified with possible fungal meningitis infections from epidural steroid injections. At least five deaths have been reported. The fungus has been identified in specimens obtained from a total of five patients so far.

October 8, 2012 Update: Meningitis Outbreak 2012 Up To 105 Cases

The CDC says that while investigation into the exact source of these infections is ongoing, all infected patients received preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate from among the three lots voluntarily recalled by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachusetts, on September 25, 2012.

Infected patients have presented approximately one-to-four weeks following their injection with a variety of symptoms including fever, new or worsening headache, nausea and our new symptoms consistent with a stroke. Some of these patients symptoms were very mild in nature.

The CDC says that cerebrospinal fluid obtained from these patients has shown findings consistent with meningitis. It is important to note that this type of meningitis is not transmissible from person-to-person.

Patients may be experiencing mild symptoms, not typical of meningitis. Such as new or worsening headache without fever or neck stiffness. The CDC warns that if patients are having new or worsening symptoms, even mild symptoms, they should be evaluated immediately.

While the CDC is only aware of infections occurring in patients who have received epidural steroid injections, the CDC advises that patients who received other type of injections of methylprednisolone acetate from those three lots should be tested from signs of infection such as swelling, increasing pain, redness and warmth at the injection site and should be encouraged to seek evaluation if such symptoms exist

There are the 23 States that received preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate among the three recalled lots: California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas, and West Virginia.

Patient Information:

Is the source of the outbreak known?
CDC is investigating medications and products that are associated with this outbreak of meningitis. At this point, there is not enough evidence to determine the original source of the outbreak, however there is a link to an injectable steroid medication. The lots of medication that were given to patients have been recalled by the manufacturer.

What are the states that received the implicated product?
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

What is meningitis?
Meningitis refers to inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges. The inflammation is usually caused by an infection frequently with a bacteria or virus, but meningitis can also be caused by less common pathogens such as fungi.
The severity of illness and the treatment for meningitis differ depending on the cause. Thus, it is important to know the specific cause of meningitis.

What is fungal meningitis?
Fungal meningitis occurs when the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord are infected with a fungus. Fungal meningitis can develop after a fungus spreads through the bloodstream from somewhere else in the body, as a result of the fungus being introduced directly into the central nervous system, or by direct extension from an infected body site next to the central nervous system.

Is fungal meningitis common after epidural injections?
Epidural injections are generally very safe procedures, and complications are rare. Fungal meningitis is an extremely rare cause of meningitis overall, including after epidural injections. The type of epidural medication given to patients affected by this outbreak is not the same type of medication as that given to women during childbirth.

What are the symptoms of fungal meningitis?
Symptoms of fungal meningitis are similar to symptoms of other forms of meningitis, however they often appear more gradually and can be very mild at first. In addition to typical meningitis symptoms, like headache, fever, nausea, and stiffness of the neck, people with fungal meningitis may also experience confusion, dizziness, and discomfort from bright lights. Patients might just have one or two of these symptoms.

Graphic: CDC