Thousands of epidural injection patients across the country are being notified that they were treated for back pain with steroid medication that is now associated with an outbreak of fungal meningitis (Aspergillus and Exserohilum) that has 119 CDC-confirmed cases in 10 states, including Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. Several of these patients have had strokes and infectious disease experts believe the outbreak will grow.
Attorney Fred Pritzker recently won over $40,000,000 for clients injured by another medical product and are now helping patients in several states who had spinal steroid injections and either have already been diagnosed with meningitis or have symptoms of the illness. Fred can be contacted for a free consultation here.
All of the people sickened in the outbreak were given pain shots containing preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate (a prednisone-based steroid medication) prepared by New England Compounding Center (NECC), located in Framingham, MA. Investigators found fungal contamination in unopened vials of this steroid product. This is solid evidence for a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit against New England Compouding Center.
The fungi involved in this cluster of fungal meningitis cases are still under investigation. In several patients, the meningitis was found to be caused by Aspergillus or Exserohilum, both fungi that can cause meningitis and stroke. Regardless, the NECC pharmacy in Framingham has announced a sweeping recall of all products currently in circulation that were compounded at the Framingham facility. In addition, the CDC is urging the medical community to proactively contact those who have received steroid injections compounded at NECC to warn them and check on their health.
If you or a loved one has been sickened in this outbreak of infectious disease, you have the legal option of contacting an attorney to represent you in a possible epidural injection lawsuit. NECC is at the center of this outbreak according to findings by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and lawyer Fred Pritzker has called upon the company to immediately pay the medical expenses of all affected patients. Mr. Pritzker and his Bad Bug Law Team are providing free case reviews. You can call the firm directly at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or contact Fred for a free consultation here regarding a steroid meningitis lawsuit.
Symptoms of fungal meningitis are similar to symptoms of other forms of meningitis, however they often appear more gradually and can be very mild at first. In addition to typical meningitis symptoms, like headache, fever, nausea, and stiffness of the neck, people with fungal meningitis may also experience confusion, dizziness, and discomfort from bright lights. Patients might just have one or two of these symptoms.
These are the states that have received the implicated NECC epidural steroids used for back pain: 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. You can find a list of all clinics that received the implicated NECC steroids here: Can I Sue NECC and the Clinic for Meningitis from My Epidural Steroid Injection?