All of the patients were injected with methylprednisolone acetate, a steroid drug that investigators suspect was contaminated with a fungus usually found in leaf mold.  The drug was manufactured by a specialty pharmacy, New England Compounding Center of Framingham, Mass., which last week voluntarily recalled three lots of the steroid:

  • Methylprednisolone Acetate (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #06292012@26, BUD 12/26/2012
  • Methylprednisolone Acetate (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #08102012@51, BUD 2/6/2013
  • Methylprednisolone Acetate (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #05212012@68, BUD 11/17/2012

Infected patients have developed a variety of symptoms approximately one to four weeks following their injection. Symptoms include fever, new or worsening headache and nausea.  Some of these patients’ symptoms were very mild in nature. Cerebrospinal fluid from these patients has shown findings consistent with meningitis.   Illnesses and deaths thus far:

Total case count: 91

Florida: 4 cases

Indiana: 8 cases

Maryland: 3 cases, including 1 death

Michigan: 20 cases, including 2 deaths

Minnesota: 3 case

North Carolina: 2 cases

Ohio: 1 case

Tennessee: 32 cases, including 3 deaths

Virginia: 18 cases, including 1 death

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The suspected steroid was shipped to 23 states:

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California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas, and West Virginia.