Deadly meningitis outbreak in the US

Fungal contaminated drug causes many meningitis?

07/10/2012

In the United States, many patients suffer from meningitis, apparently caused by a fungus-contaminated drug. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health authorities have already reported seven deaths from severe meningitis.

According to the investigation to date, all affected patients had received an analgesic injection into the spinal canal prior to their illness. This so-called epidural injection of steroids is therefore considered a likely cause of meningitis. Because some patients have meningitis triggered by a fungus, the authorities assume that there is contamination of the drug. Fortunately, this fungus-related form of meningitis does not infect. Nevertheless, the experts of the CDC fear in the coming weeks a massive increase in the diseases. Some US physicians even expect more than 30,000 patients.

Injection of analgesic triggers meningitis?
So far, 64 cases of meningitis from nine states have been reported to the CDC. Seven patients died as a result of the disease. According to the US Department of Health, the number of suspected drugs in 23 states is expected to increase further. Although the numbers of US scientists in the news channel „CNN“ 34,000 sufferers appear somewhat excessive, but they illustrate the extent of the situation can accept. So far, give it „At this point, there is not enough evidence to identify the original source of the outbreak, but a link to injectable steroid medication is suspected“, so the message of the CDC. Drugs injected directly into the spinal canal are believed to have come from a Massachusetts-based pharmaceutical company. The manufacturer recalled the medication and temporarily stopped production.

Meningitis due to fungal infection?
If bacteria, viruses or fungi enter the spinal canal, they can easily spread via the cerebrospinal fluid (liquor cerebrospinalis) and cause inflammation of the protective skins in the brain and spinal cord (meninges). Injections into the spinal canal therefore always carry a certain risk. Although the meningitis is only rarely caused by an infection with fungi, according to the CDC, this seems to be the case with the current disease wave. The so-called fungal meningitis, in the „the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord are infected with a fungus“, has already been proven in several cases, report the CDC experts.

Possible signs of meningitis
Possible concerns about a general risk of infection from epidural injections deprived the CDC of the fact that these „usually very safe procedures and complications rarely“ are. Also, the type of suspected epidural drugs are not the same kind of drugs as some women are injected into the spinal canal during birth, the US Department of Health. As typical symptoms of meningitis, CDC experts describe headache, fever, neck stiffness, nausea, and vomiting. Also experience „People with fungal meningitis accompany symptoms such as confusion, dizziness and discomfort in bright lights.“, according to the Communication from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All potentially affected patients are urged to contact a doctor urgently. (Fp)

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Picture credits: Andrea Damm