This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Death toll reaches 30 in fungal meningitis outbreak
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
The CDC has reported that 419 people have been affected by the fungal meningitis outbreak in 19 states as of Nov. 5. There also have been 30 deaths.
The cases comprise 409 people with fungal meningitis and 10 with peripheral joint infections. The outbreak has been linked to three tainted lots of methylprednisolone acetate produced by the New England Compounding Center. These lots, as well as every other product produced by the center on or after May 21, have been recalled.
The FDA and CDC have advised health care providers to follow up with patients who may have received an injectable product after this date. CDC estimates this to be 14,000 patients, with nearly 97% already contacted.
Michigan, Tennessee, Indiana and Virginia are the hardest hit states, with 119, 78, 41 and 49 cases, respectively. The other states affected include Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Texas.
The presence of Exserohilum rostratum has been confirmed in unopened vials of methylprednisolone acetate from two of the affected lots. This fungus has been implicated in 54 of the patients with fungal meningitis. The third affected lot is still undergoing testing.
The current treatment recommendation is voriconazole, 6 mg/kg, every 12 hours.