More meningitis cases confirmed in Florida

74-year-old woman received tainted injection in Marion County

OCALA, Fla. – Two more cases of fungal meningitis associated with contaminated steroid injections were confirmed in Florida, including one in Marion County, health officials said. 

The two patients are a 74-year-old woman who received treatment from the Florida Pain Clinic in Marion County and a 79-year-old woman who received treatment from Pain Consultants of West Florida in Escambia County.

The new cases bring the total fungal meningitis case count in Florida to 12, including two deaths.

"The Florida Department of Health continues to investigate this outbreak using guidance from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," said State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong. "Our current priority is to ensure that contact is made with any patient who received an injection with the contaminated medications, and we will not rest until the job is done."

Both women were given one of the contaminated lots of New England Compounding Center methylprednisolone acetate used for epidural back injections.

Nationwide, the number of cases of fungal meningitis related to contaminated steroid injections is 214 with 15 deaths across 15 states.

This fungal meningitis is not contagious and cannot be passed from person to person, health officials said.

Anyone with additional questions can call 866-523-7339, Florida health officials said.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.


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