Home > Blog > Meningitis Outbreak Hasn’t Ended

The fungal meningitis outbreak that resulted from a tainted steroid injection this fall is not over.  Several months later, there have been over 23 new cases of spinal abscesses attributable to the steroid injection manufactured by New England Compounding Pharmacy.

Luckily the new wave of cases has involved spinal abscesses, and have not yet developed into full-blown fungal meningitis, which is a deadly disease.  Spinal abscesses, the primary symptom of which is pain, are not a direct threat to the body’s central nervous system, and often take a long time to develop.  MRI must be used to detect them.

Because this type of fungal infection is so rare in humans, doctors are having a hard time predicting its progression and how long the incubation period might be.  Evidently, it is longer than once thought.

If you suspect you might have gotten an infected injection, contact your doctor immediately.

Source and Further Reading:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323316804578163753911244248.html?mod=rss_Health