Catbird
Senior Moderator
Pennsylvania Dept. of Health
News for Immediate Release
Oct. 15, 2012
Department of Health Identifies First Case of Fungal Meningitis Linked to
National Outbreak
Harrisburg ? The Department of Health today reported the first case of fungal meningitis in Pennsylvania linked to the national outbreak from contaminated medication produced by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass.
The patient, who received an epidural steroid injection in July 2012, was identified as part of ongoing record review and patient follow-up performed by the department at Allegheny Pain Management in Altoona. The facility was one of two locations in Pennsylvania that received shipments of the specific lots of steroid medication responsible for the national outbreak.
No illnesses have been found to date at the South Hills Pain Clinic in Allegheny County, the second location that received a shipment of the steroid medication.
?We have been working directly with the clinics to ensure that patients who received these injections are monitored and receive any necessary follow-up,? said Acting Secretary of Health Michael Wolf. ?There are no other medical facilities in Pennsylvania that received or used the contaminated medication.?
The patient, who is currently hospitalized, is receiving the care and medications recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to treat the specific fungal infections linked to this outbreak.
For more information about the national fungal meningitis outbreak or to view current case counts, visit www.cdc.gov.
News for Immediate Release
Oct. 15, 2012
Department of Health Identifies First Case of Fungal Meningitis Linked to
National Outbreak
Harrisburg ? The Department of Health today reported the first case of fungal meningitis in Pennsylvania linked to the national outbreak from contaminated medication produced by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass.
The patient, who received an epidural steroid injection in July 2012, was identified as part of ongoing record review and patient follow-up performed by the department at Allegheny Pain Management in Altoona. The facility was one of two locations in Pennsylvania that received shipments of the specific lots of steroid medication responsible for the national outbreak.
No illnesses have been found to date at the South Hills Pain Clinic in Allegheny County, the second location that received a shipment of the steroid medication.
?We have been working directly with the clinics to ensure that patients who received these injections are monitored and receive any necessary follow-up,? said Acting Secretary of Health Michael Wolf. ?There are no other medical facilities in Pennsylvania that received or used the contaminated medication.?
The patient, who is currently hospitalized, is receiving the care and medications recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to treat the specific fungal infections linked to this outbreak.
For more information about the national fungal meningitis outbreak or to view current case counts, visit www.cdc.gov.