Unfortunately for Georgians, it was announced earlier this week that the state is now the 17th to be impacted by the recent fungal meningitis outbreak linked to tainted steroid injections.
Reports reveal that the person infected is a 66-year-old woman from Macon. Fortunately she remains in stable condition. A CDC official was quoted as saying that she does not appear to be sick but is under the care of an infectious disease specialist who is monitoring her condition out of an abundance of caution.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, the patient previously received a steroid injection produced by the specialty pharmacy at the center of the current outbreak, the New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Framingham, Massachusetts.
The FDA has also announced that it is asking public health authorities to begin contacting 10 healthcare facilities in middle Georgia. The FDA revealed a list of facilities that possibly received shipments of tainted steroid injections. However, state health officials were quick to say that the list includes some places that received other, non-recalled products from the NECC. The list released by the FDA includes the following locations: Associates Surgery Center, Coliseum Same Day Surgery Center, Eye Center of Central Georgia, Forsyth Street Ambulatory Surgical Center, GA Neurosurgical Outpatient Surgery Center, Piedmont Surgery Center, Renaissance Plastic Surgery-GA, Spa Medical, Washington County Regional Medical Center, and Houston County Medical Center.
So far the CDC has said that there are 308 cases in the following states: Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The agency also said that 23 meningitis-related deaths have been reported in the following states: Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Tennessee leads in both categories with 70 reported cases and 9 deaths.
If you have not received an injection in the last few months, you have nothing to worry about, as fungal meningitis is not contagious. If you have had a spinal injection for any reason, you may be at risk and should talk to your doctor to make sure you do not have any symptoms. The Georgia Department of Public Health is telling those who are worried to look out for the following symptoms: fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, swelling, increasing pain, redness, warmth at injection site, visual changes, and pain.
If you or someone you know have been injured by a defective product and you would like to discuss your case with an attorney, please call contact the Georgia product liability litigation attorneys at Pope McGlamry today to schedule a free consultation.
Source: “FDA Recalls Drugs From 10 Middle Georgia Health Facilities, Some Say They Shouldn’t Be On The List,” by Amanda Castro, published at 41NBC.com.
