Death toll continues to rise after meningitis outbreak
A tainted batch of steroid medicine from the New England Compounding Center of Framingham, Mass. has wreaked havoc across the eastern United States, from Massachusetts to Florida and in between. According to officials, about 250 people are currently infected with a strand of deadly fungal meningitis that has caused about 19 deaths since Wednesday. This announcement came from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As reported by the Los Angeles Times, fungal meningitis is extremely deadly and painful as it attacks the linings of the brain and spinal cord causing inflammation of the brain. Exposure to this illness also causes negative health effects in the long run.
More cases have been developing since Wednesday which indicates the outbreak is far over. The Food and Drug Administration is clueless on how the contaminated serums were circulated. According to the Wall Street Journal however, an investigation has been underway to investigate the cause of the outbreak. Federal criminal investigators searched the NECC where the drugs were distributed however they were quiet on whether or not they can press charges on the company based on any evidence they found.
Unfortunately, the NECC is not a strictly regulated business and they say their manufactured drugs are mixed from drugs produced elsewhere in the world.
