"[The New England Compounding Center] will never practice again in Massachusetts," said Governor Deval Patrick after the state's Board of Pharmacy permanently revoked the facility's license to distribute medication.
NECC is responsible for the nationwide fungal meningitis epidemic afflicting the United States, sparked by a contaminated steroid known as methylprednisolone acetate. The injection was intended to alleviate back pain and was distributed to medical practices all over the country.
The Legal Examiner reports that cases may begin to reduce in volume in November. The CDC's Tom Chiller explains, "We know the farther out you are from receiving an injection, the lower your risk becomes for developing meningitis or other infections."
On average, it takes 42 days after the Exserohilum rostratum mold to kick off an illness, but the contaminated steroid has been known to cause illnesses up to 152 days after injection.
The Center for Disease Control reports that the fungal meningitis outbreak has sickened 338 people in 18 states, and killed 25.
Tennessee reports 74 cases and 10 deaths, Virginia reports 43 cases and 2 deaths, Florida reports 19 cases and 3 deaths, Indiana reports 43 cases and 3 deaths, Maryland reports 19 cases and 1 death, Michigan reports 82 cases and 5 deaths, Idaho reports 1 case, Minnesota reports 9 cases, New Jersey reports 18 cases, New Hampshire reports 11 cases, New York reports 1 case, Pennsylvania reports 1 case Illinois reports 1 case, Georgia reports 1 case, South Carolina reports 1 case, Texas reports 1 case, North Carolina reports 2 cases and 1death, and Ohio reports 11 cases.
Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, altered mental states, fever, headache, stiff neck, hallucinations, and personality changes. Treatment usually involves prolonged courses of high dose antifungal medications through an IV line, according to the CDC. Treatment length may vary depending on the patient's immune system, lasting months in some cases.
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