A woman in her 70s is the latest in four cases of fungal meningitis in Minnesota as of Saturday afternoon resulting from tainted steroids.
Antibiotics and antifungal drugs are treating the hospitalized patient reports the Star Tribune. The other three cases of meningitis are women in their 40s. The Pioneer Press states two of the women have been released from the hospital and one is expected to be released soon.
New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., produced the bad lot of steroids that have adversely affected 180 people from 12 different states so far, ultimately killing 15 reports Minnesota Public Radio.
According to the Pioneer Press, approximately 800 patients may have been exposed to the steroids, most of whom received the drugs as a spinal injection for back pain. MPR reports nearly all 800 have been contacted.
With so many receiving the drugs, this likely is not the last case.
"We continue to evaluate cases," Doug Schultz, spokesman for the state Health Department said to the Star Tribune, "so we wouldn't be surprised to hear about more cases in the coming weeks."
Medical Advanced Pain Specialists and the Minnesota Surgery Center are the two clinics in the Twin Cities said to have administered the drugs.
The general public is not at risk as this form of meningitis is not contagious.
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