An outbreak of fungal meningitis linked to two surgery clinics in Mexico has reportedly claimed more lives. This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its case tally, reporting seven confirmed or probable deaths associated with the outbreak.
Officials are actively trying to contact everyone potentially at risk and are urging anyone who recently underwent epidural anesthesia at the clinics to seek immediate medical attention.
The outbreak first came to the attention of the CDC and local health officials from Texas in early May. Two female patients in the state had been hospitalized with meningitis, a severe inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.
By mid-May, additional potential cases were reported, all involving patients who had received epidural anesthesia during cosmetic surgery weeks earlier at either the River Side Surgical Center or Clinica K-3 in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
Initial test results quickly pointed to a fungal infection as the cause of the outbreak, with later lab work suggesting fungi from the Fusarium solani species complex were responsible.
As of the CDC’s latest update on June 29, there have been 34 suspected, probable, or confirmed cases of fungal meningitis tied to the clinics, including five confirmed and two probable deaths.
Over 160 other individuals potentially at risk for exposure are under observation, including those who are asymptomatic or still awaiting test results.
The CDC has stated that these infections are not contagious between people. Both clinics have temporarily shut down, which should hopefully prevent further cases.
However, despite receiving a list of patients who recently visited the clinics from the Mexican Ministry of Health, the CDC has encountered difficulties in locating everyone at risk.
Some of the contact information has been incomplete or incorrect, and officials have found potential exposures who were not on the list at all.
Anyone who visited these clinics and received epidural anesthesia between January and May 13 this year is at risk for fungal meningitis, according to the CDC.
Those who have not yet been tested should visit their nearest emergency room or doctor as soon as possible, even if they are not currently feeling ill.
This urgency is critical, as the infection can quickly become life-threatening once symptoms appear. Some patients with mild or no symptoms during this outbreak may have avoided severe illness or death by getting early testing and treatment.
Symptoms of meningitis include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and confusion.
