Meningitis Toll Rises: Two Deaths and 10 Sickened in Florida
The nationwide outbreak of fungal meningitis linked to tainted steroid injections made by a compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts now encompasses 14 states. The tally as of Oct. 15 stands at 205 illnesses and 15 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Florida health officials recently confirmed that a second death in the state has been linked to the deadly outbreak. An 83-year-old Marion County man who allegedly received an injection of the tainted steroid from the Marion Pain Management Center recently died of fungal meningitis. Doctors had been baffled by his illness until reports about the contaminated drug distributed by New England Compounding Center (NECC) began to surface.
But, by then it was too late to save him.
Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Health says that it has confirmed the first case of fungal meningitis contracted outside of Marion County. Health officials say a 47-year-old Escambia County man was infected after receiving a tainted steroid injection at the Pain Consultants of West Florida in Pensacola.
The toll in Florida currently stands at 10 illnesses and two fatalities. It’s been estimated that over 1,000 doses of the suspect drug may have been administered to Florida residents.
The CDC reports that as many as 14,000 people have been exposed to the tainted drugs in 23 states. Meanwhile, a woman in Minnesota has filed a lawsuit in federal court, claiming that she received a tainted steroid injection and currently has symptoms consistent with meningitis. It has not yet been confirmed if she has the illness.
The Florida fungal meningitis infection attorneys at Farah & Farah in Florida firmly maintain that medications should be safe and free of any unknown side effects or contaminants. If you or someone you love has been harmed by a tainted medication, call us at (800) 533-3555 for a free review of your case and to discuss your legal options.
