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Fungal meningitis outbreak responsible for 7 deaths
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The CDC and FDA have reported an outbreak of non-contagious fungal meningitis that has been traced to epidural steroid injections, which has affected 91 people in nine states and resulted in seven deaths.
The FDA and the CDC have reported that the outbreak stems from an epidural steroid injection manufactured by the New England Compounding Center (NECC); specifically, three lots of 80 mg/mL preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate. The facility has initiated a voluntary recall of all products currently in circulation.
The CDC has advised physicians to contact patients who received an injection from one of the three lots of methylprednisolone acetate, which were circulated starting May 21. Symptoms include fever, new or worsening headache, neck stiffness, sensitivity to light, new weakness or numbness, increasing pain and/or redness or swelling of the injection site. Onset of the symptoms was typically 1 to 4 weeks after injection.
States that received products from the three affected lots include: 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.
A list of all recalled products can be found at http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm322752.htm.
Perspective
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Scott D. Boden, MD
The recent situation of some contaminated batches of steroid, commonly used in epidural injections in spine patients, has many patients who have received injections concerned. By now, most injection centers know if they purchase medication from the contaminated manufacturer or not. If the site that performed an injection never uses that source of steroids, there should be no concern. Some of the contaminated batches have likely been recalled and returned. It would be prudent to make sure that patients currently undergoing injections verify that their provider does not have any of the contaminated products. While a very rare occurrence, the consequences of fungal meningitis can be serious, and potentially fatal.
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