Meningitis Outbreak Leaves Four Dead

Four patients recently passed away in the United States after receiving spinal injections which have been linked to a rare form of meningitis. 26 people in five states have reported contracting the illness so far. Four of those people have already passed away as a result. All the victims of the illness received steroid injections for back pain prior to contracting the illness. The drug that they were injected with was formulated at a pharmacy in Massachusetts. The pharmacy has since issued a recall on the drug and shut down operations.

The majority of the meningitis cases are in Tennessee where a Nashville clinic received a large shipment of the steroid. There have also been three cases in Virginia, two in Florida, two in Maryland, and one in North Carolina. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the deaths occurred in Tennessee, Virginia, and Maryland. The Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner admitted to ABC News that chances are that the disease will spread in the next days. Meningitis can take up to 15 days to show symptoms, which means that more men and women who received the spinal injection may contract the illness and fail to see signs until days later.

Just Wednesday, doctors confirmed an additional five cases of the illness. Meningitis is a potentially fatal illness that causes the lining of the brain and the spinal cord to swell. The illness is detectable because patients will have a severe headache, dizziness, and a fever. Some patients also experience slurred speech and difficulty walking. Unfortunately, more than 900 men and women have received the spinal injection that has been linked to the illness. If you have been diagnosed with meningitis as a result of this treatment, then talk to a personal injury attorney about your situation today. You may need legal representation to sue for medical malpractice or a defective drug in court.