Meningitis is a dangerous and even fatal illness that affects the lining of the brain and the spinal cord by causing them to swell. The Mayo Clinic says that the meningitis causes membranes to become inflamed and can trigger “hallmark” signs. These are symptoms like a headache, fever, or a stiff neck. Most of the time, meningitis stems from a viral infection but some bacterial and fungal infections can also trigger the disease. Depending on the level of severity, meningitis can subside on its own or lead a person to their death. The Mayo Clinic says that if you suspect that you have meningitis you need to head to the doctor’s immediately to get yourself checked out. If you have had a spinal injection recently, then you have all the more reason to get to the hospital quickly when you experience these symptoms. The illness can last two to 28 days and can be fatal for some.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, medical professionals should not use any products that are manufactured by the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts. This is because this company is responsible for manufacturing the spinal injection fluid which has accused a massive outbreak of meningitis in as many as 23 states. At least 900 people were injected with the spinal fluid created by the company to relieve chronic back pain. Five patients have already died from the illness and at least 35 cases have been discovered. New England Compounding Center created preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate that is used for pain relief injections. Supposedly, the company has already recalled all the medications and shut down their practice for the time being.

Every person who has received fungal meningitis in the past few days had one of these injections. The majority of the cases have been rooted in Tennessee, but as many as 23 states received shipments of the medication and doctors in these states issued the injections. According to Dr. Benjamin Park, a medical epidemiologist, 23 states have received shipments of the tainted product since July 2012. These states include Connecticut, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, New Jersey, and more. About 75 facilities have received products from the three recalled lots. Doctors worry that the products may also be in other states that they were not even sent to. This is because the New England Compounding Center is licensed in all 50 states to distribute and sell their drugs.

Thankfully, fungal meningitis is a non-contagious form of the disease. Unfortunately, it is also the most intense form of the disease. People have come to the hospital with slurred speech and trouble walking as well as severe headaches, vomiting, nausea, dizziness, and a high fever. Those that are diagnosed early will probably be able to recover from the illness. They will need an intravenous administration of high-dose antifungal medications in order to battle the illness. So far, cases have been confirmed in Maryland, Indiana, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, and Tennessee.

The FDA has inspected the New England Compounding Center since the outbreak and found contaminants in one vial of serum. Supposedly there are 17,676 vials of the dangerous medication all over the United States. The FDA is working hard to get more information about the products and collect them from hospitals before they are use. The FDA says that almost all meningitis victims were given an epidural for lower back pain that contained the fungal meningitis disease. If you have been affected by this outbreak, then contact a medical malpractice attorney right away to seek compensation.