Updated: CDC’s Multistate Fungal Meningitis Outbreak Digital Press Kit has been updated

Updated: CDC’s Multistate Fungal Meningitis Outbreak Digital Press Kit has been updated

Updated: CDC’s Multistate Fungal Meningitis Outbreak Digital Press Kit has been updated

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent this bulletin at 10/18/2012 03:07 PM EDT

CDC’s Multistate Fungal Meningitis Outbreak Digital Press Kit has been updated

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are currently coordinating a multistate investigation of fungal infection among patients who received a steroid injection with a potentially contaminated product either into the spinal area or in a joint space, such as a knee, shoulder or ankle.

Updates today:

• As of October 18, 2012, a total of 257 cases, including 20 deaths and 3 peripheral joint infections, have been reported in 16 states (see CDC’s website for up-to-date information about case count and distribution by state).
• CDC and FDA have confirmed the presence of a fungus known as Exserohilum rostratum in unopened medication vials of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate (80mg/ml) from one of the three implicated lots from NECC.  The laboratory confirmation further links steroid injections from these lots from NECC to the multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis and joint infections.
• New B-roll package and photographs from CDC’s Fungal Diseases Laboratory that confirmed the presence of Exserohilum rostratum

See CDC’s Multistate Fungal Meningitis Outbreak Digital Press Kit: http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2012/dpk-meningitis.html

Thanks,

CDC News Media

media@cdc.gov