Ten Cases of Fungal Meningitis Confirmed in Florida, Two Deaths: Health Officials

A total of six facilities got and used the contaminated injections

Florida now has ten confirmed cases of fungal meningitis, including two deaths, health officials said Saturday.

The two deaths were in Marion County, according to the Florida Department of Health.

The department said a total of eight facilities in the state received contaminated injections, but six of those facilities, including one in Miami-Dade County, actually used the injections.

“We continue to urge those who may have received steroid injections from any of the six facilities in the state to consult a health care professional,” said State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong in an email statement. “This situation remains unfortunate, and although this fungal meningitis is not contagious, we do anticipate more patients will be affected as our investigation continues.”

The health department confirmed Saturday that Escambia County has its case of fungal meningitis associated with contaminated steroid injections from the New England Compounding Center. A 47-year old man who received treatment from Pain Consultants of West Florida in Pensacola was injected with one of the tainted shots.

VIDEO: First Fungal Meningitis Death

The health department said the six facilities in the state that received and used the contaminated injections are: Florida Pain Clinic in Ocala, Marion Pain Management Center in Ocala, Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery in Orlando, Pain Consultants of West Florida in Pensacola, Surgery Center of Ocala in Ocala and Surgical Park Center in Miami.

Phone messages to five of the facilities for statements were not immediately returned Saturday.  A woman at Pain Consultants of West Florida in Pensacola told NBC 6 South Florida to call Monday for comment.

Anyone with questions about the outbreak should call the toll-free hotline at 1-866-523-7339. 

Health officials say the number of cases nationwide is at 185 people, including 14 deaths across 12 states. 

The steroid is injected into the spine to relieve back pain.

Symptoms on meningitis include severe headache, nausea, dizziness and fever. The CDC said many of the cases have been mild and some people had strokes. Symptoms have been appearing between one and four weeks after patients got the shots.

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