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FUNGAL MENINGITIS OUTBREAK: CALIFORNIA ONE OF 23 STATES WITH POTENTIALLY CONTAMINATED STEROID INJECTIONS

As of October 8, 2012, 105 cases of fungal meningitis and eight deaths have been reported in connection with tainted steroid shots manufactured and distributed by the New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Framingham, MA.

According to The Sacramento Bee, the four facilities in California that received the defective drug are in Visalia (Cypress Surgery Center DBA), Encino (Encino Outpatient SurgiCenter), Ukiah (Ukiah Valley Medical Center), and Palmdale (Universal Pain Management).

As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducts its multistate investigation of meningitis for patients who were given the epidural steroid injections to their spine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that the NECC is recalling all of its products in circulation as a safety measure.

California is one of 23 states to have received the recalled products. Others include: 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.

The CDC is urging medical professionals to contact patients who have been given any of the three recalled lots of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate (80mg/ml). Injections of the possibly contaminated medication used to treat pain and inflammation were administered as far back as May 21, 2012.

Symptoms of meningitis include fever, new or worsening headache, neck stiffness, sensitivity to light, new weakness or numbness, increasing pain, and redness or swelling of the injection site. Some patients have suffered strokes from the meningitis. If you or a loved one is experiencing any of these symptoms, it is essential to see a doctor immediately to ensure that proper treatment is obtained within a timely manner.

At Caputo & Van Der Walde LLP, our defective product attorneys in San Jose work to protect the rights of those harmed by a manufacturer’s negligence. Our lawyers apply years of experience and effective strategies to building strong cases on behalf of our clients. We know how important it is for personal injury victims to obtain money for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages. For more information about your legal rights, please call (800) 900-0863 for a free consultation.