Meningitis Infection from Tainted Steroid Injection

An unusual outbreak has occurred in the United States. Individuals injected with a certain kind of steroid have been reporting illness in the form of fungal meningitis. The cases number around 105 across nine states with eight fatalities reported.

If you have recently received a steroid injection it is critical that you make yourself aware of the details of this case, receive proper treatment, and pursue rightful compensation for the dangers to your health caused by negligence and lack of oversight.

About The Meningitis Outbreak Due to Steroid Injection

The first and most important thing to understand is meningitis itself, and how it manifests. It is reported that individuals who have received these compromised steriod injections would not experience noticeable symptoms for 1-4 weeks. That means that over a month can go by without individuals knowing they are infected. This is why individuals who have received an injection should seek medical attention no matter how they feel.

Meningitis can manifest itself in multiple ways as it is a combination of multiple bacterial infections. Some of the most common symptoms include:

• Vomiting
• Fever
• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Light sensitivity
• Drowsiness
• Joint pain

While bacterial meningitis is considered more difficult to contract than viral meningitis, it is also more serious. The strain in question via the steroid injections is bacterial and thus deserves immediate attention and treatment.

Who Was Responsible for the Injection Mishap

The infection went unnoticed due to a variety of loopholes in oversight and management. No one governing body was responsible for approving the quality of the product, meaning each body effectively pushed the task to some other body. As a result, the end users of the product suffered. The Wall Street Journal Reports:

State regulators, federal agencies and the pharmacy industry all share some responsibility for monitoring compounding pharmacies like the New England Compounding Center, the Massachusetts facility that shipped the contaminated steroid tied to the meningitis outbreak. But health officials and lawmakers say these facilities essentially slide through the cracks because no one entity has full responsibility for overseeing them.

“Compounding pharmacies currently fall into a regulatory black hole,” Rep. Ed Markey (D., Mass.) wrote in a letter to Margaret Hamburg, Food and Drug Administration commissioner, on Monday.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.), called for the FDA’s oversight authority of the facilities to be extended if necessary, saying that compounding pharmacies’ “relative immunity from standards of safety and effectiveness seems anomalous and unacceptable.” Mr. Blumenthal is on the Senate committee that oversees how much jurisdiction the FDA has.

Suing for Wrongful Meningitis Infection

This outbreak was completely preventable and occurred due to negligence and incompetent oversight. The potential for victims to pursue legal compensation is strong, and may even lead to positive change in drug monitoring.

If you or a loved one has received a potentially infected steroid injection please reach out to us right away. We are organizing with some of the nation’s top law firms to pursue legitimate legal action. Our job is to hear your situation and connect you to the appropriate law firm in your area. Our service is completely free and confidential.

Reach out toll free at 1-800-603-6833 or utilize our online consultation form.