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Laboratory technician Ruth Rutledge packages cerebrospinal fluid of the three confirmed meningitis cases in Minn., to send to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for further testing, at the Minnesota Department of Health in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012. The number of people sickened by a deadly meningitis outbreak has now reached 119 cases, including 11 deaths, according to the CDC. The states involved in the outbreak are Tennessee, Michigan, Virginia, Indiana, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey and Ohio. Officials have tied the outbreak of rare fungal meningitis to steroid shots for back pain. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien) (November 14, 2012) |
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan health officials are reporting seven more infections linked to contaminated steroids supplied by a Massachusetts pharmaceutical company.
The Michigan Department of Community Health said Monday that at least 256 people have been infected with illnesses including fungal meningitis that are part of a national disease outbreak. That's up from 249 two weeks earlier.
The steroids are used in injections to treat neck and back pain.
The department reports that at least 16 people have died in the outbreak. It says there have been 68 cases of fungal meningitis, 161 epidural abscesses, one stroke and 26 peripheral joint infections in Michigan tied to the steroids.
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Online:
Michigan Department of Community Health meningitis link: http://1.usa.gov/Wom9rn
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meningitis outbreak map: http://1.usa.gov/Qsw1eU
