A man in his 50's and a woman in her 40's contracted fungal meningitis, bringing the state's total to seven cases, according to the Star Tribune.
More than 230 people nationwide have contracted the fungus, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked to three lots of a contaminated steroid medication. The medication came from the called the New England Compounding Center.
At least 15 people have died from the outbreak nationwide, according to CBS News.
Health officials are not sure what contaminated the steroids but said dirty conditions, faulty sterilizing equipment, tainted ingredients or sloppiness on the part of employees are all possibilities, CBS News reported .
All seven patients received contaminated steroids from two Twin Cities clinics- Medical Advanced Pain Specialists (MAPS) and the Minnesota Surgery Center, according to the Star Tribune.
The CDC estimated that 13,000 people were exposed to the medication nationally, according to Scientific American.
Minnesota health officials estimated that 950 people were treated with the steroid, the Star Tribune reported last week. Since symptoms take four to six weeks to appear, state officials expect more cases to develop.
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