More Victims Sick from Recalled Steroid Linked to Fungal Meningitis

Framingham, MAA steroid linked to an outbreak of meningitis has been recalled by the New England Compounding Center. Ninety-one people have contracted the non-contagious form of meningitis since Sunday, October 7 and seven people have died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (As of Oct 4, more than 26 people people had been taken ill.)

The steroid, which is used to treat pain and inflammation, is a preservative-free steroid called methylprednisolone acetate that was contaminated by a fungus. Patients in nine states contracted the deadly fungus after being injected in their spines.

The company said the recall--involving three lots of the injected steroid-- is a cautionary move to prevent any risk of contamination and that there is no indication of any other products being contaminated. Health Care Providers have already been notified by the FDA not to use any products distributed by the Center.

The Centers for Disease Control has posted on its website a list of 76 medical facilities that received the contaminated steroid injections from the New England Compounding Center (NECC).

The outbreak is spread across nine states: Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. The NECC is based in Framingham, Mass.