Meningitis outbreak drug company searches

Meningitis wave in the US: Authorities let drug companies search

17/10/2012

Over 200 people are affected by the meningitis wave in the United States. 15 people have already died. The reason is a fungal-contaminated drug for pain. The prosecution has today ordered the police and regulators to search the manufacturing facilities of pharmaceutical producer NECC. The investigators hope for more clues to the causes of the outbreak.

Over 200 people in the United States suffer from a life-threatening meningitis due to contaminated drugs. Already 15 people succumbed to the infectious disease. To investigate the circumstances, investigators from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the police have searched the manufacturing facilities and premises of the NECC pharmaceutical company in Massachusetts. The authorities spokeswoman Sara Clark-Lynn said: „With the investigations we want to clarify the extent and the exact cause of the meningitis outbreak. That's part of ongoing investigations“.

Two contaminated agents identified as triggers
According to the health authorities, at least two medicines could be responsible for the onset of the meningitis wave. Both drugs were manufactured by the pharmaceutical company New England Compounding Center (NECC). There are currently 233 patients with meningitis in fifteen states in connection with the contaminated syringes. As assured is that „the disease has already caused 15 deaths“. According to current knowledge, most affected patients had meningitis „get a painkiller administered in the spinal canal“. Because it is a fungal infection, the infection is not contagious. Health experts assume that the number of patients will increase even further.

Typical symptoms of fungal meningitis include headaches, a stiff neck, nausea and vomiting, and fever, according to FDA experts. Because the symptoms can also point to a flu, the disease is often discovered very late. As the „Center for Disease Control and Prevention“ communicated, experience „Patients with fungal meningitis also have discomfort such as dizziness, confusion and photosensitivity“. (Sb)

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