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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Fungal Meningitis Outbreak Toll Now 28 Dead, 363 Sickened



Cases rise as investigation into compounding pharmacies implicated in the outbreak continues

TUESDAY, Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) -- As compounding pharmacies at the heart of the ongoing meningitis outbreak are inspected and closed, the death toll rose to 28 on Tuesday, with 363 illnesses reported across 19 states.
Three new fatalities -- two from Michigan and one from Tennessee -- have occurred since the last tally issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday.
The latest numbers come days after Massachusetts officials closed a second compounding pharmacy after inspection revealed conditions that might threaten the sterility of its products.
According to The New York Times, Waltham, Mass.-based Infusion Resource voluntarily surrendered its license over the weekend after inspectors found "significant issues with the environment in which medications were being compounded," Dr. Madeleine Biondolillo, director of the Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality at the Massachusetts Public Health Department, said at a press briefing.