Death Toll Reaches 11 for Contaminated Steroid Injections

The New England Compounding Pharmacy has recalled nearly 18,000 vials of compromised steroid solution. The pharmacy, which mixes it’s own drug components, has been connected to a recent outbreak of meningitis that has resulted in 11 deaths.   Agencies are scrambling to track down all of the contaminated products and reach out to individuals whom they believe received the injections. Contact has been tricky and has forced agencies to execute a mixture of phone calls and house visits to individuals of varying ages.   As reported by the Wall Street Journal:  

About 13,000 people have been injected with the potentially contaminated steroids, according to the CDC.   “Most will not get sick,” Curtis Allen, a CDC spokesman, said today in a telephone interview. The agency expects more infections, he said.   Ten states have reported meningitis infections linked to the New England Compounding Center. Of the 119 reported infections, 39 were in Tennessee, 25 in Michigan and 24 in Virginia. The other states are Indiana, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Maryland, Minnesota and New Jersey.  

The good news is that experts are reporting that the amount of serious and lethal cases should continue to be low. However, the strain of meningitis is bacterial, which tends to have more significant side effects than it’s viral counterpart.   News appears to be reaching medical industries and the general public at an increasing pace, so continued reporting and social sharing will be helpful in preventing new individuals from receiving infected steroid injections.   To learn more, visit the dreamlegalteam meningitis steroid infection page.