TRENTON, N.J.
(AP) — New Jersey health officials have linked four more fungal
meningitis cases to a nationwide outbreak caused by a potentially
tainted medication.
The new cases announced Saturday bring the total in the state to eight.
Among
the four new cases, two are women from Salem County. One is a
37-year-old who received a steroid injection Sept. 20, while the other
is a 33-year-old who got her injection July 25.
The two other new
patients are a 77-year-old Atlantic County woman who received a steroid
injection Aug. 22, and a 64-year-old Cumberland County man who got his
injection Sept. 6.
The patients in the four other cases are all
Cumberland County residents. Overall, seven of the patients remained
hospitalized Saturday, while the other person was being treated as an
outpatient.
Health officials say more than 600 patients in New
Jersey received the steroid injection at six facilities across the state
between May 21 and September 26, and nearly all of them have been
notified that they may be at risk for contracting the illness. However,
it's possible that some of these people may have meningitis but not know
it yet because symptoms — which include fever, headaches, neck
stiffness and sensitivity to light or swelling — will usually take
anywhere from one to four weeks to develop after they receive a tainted
injection.
Nationwide, the drug sold by a Massachusetts-based pharmacy has been linked to 15 deaths and nearly 200 illnesses.
