Meningitis death toll rises to 6 in Michigan; most recent two deaths occurred at St. Joseph Mercy hospital
A sixth Michigan resident has died in a meningitis outbreak linked to recalled injectable steroids contaminated with fungus, health officials announced Friday.
According to data released from the Michigan Department of Community Health, the death is of a 79-year-old woman from Oakland County.
The fungal meningitis cases have been linked to steroids administered as injections for back and joint pain that were manufactured by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. -- a company that is currently under investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A vial of an injectable steroid manufactured by the New England Compounding Center that is under investigation by the CDC in connection with a nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak.
AP photo
St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital has announced that the most recent two deaths reported by state health officials were of patients that were actively being treated at their facility this week. Hospital officials would not confirm the identity of the patient deaths.
The total number of St. Joseph Mercy patients that have died in the nationwide outbreak is now three, as a patient that was discharged from the hospital before the CDC investigation into the steroids began died in hospice care, officials said Oct. 9.
The state health department reported Oct. 9 that a 78-year-old Washtenaw County woman died from fungal meningitis, but hospital officials could not confirm if that was the same individual.
As of Friday in Michigan, 53 cases associated with the fungal meningitis outbreak had been confirmed — an increase of four cases from Thursday.
Of those 53 cases, 48 of them are from St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor. Of the 48, 47 are confirmed cases of fungal meningitis and one is a patient with a joint infected with fungus. About half of those patients have been discharged, according to hospital officials.
The University of Michigan Health System has had two confirmed cases of fungal meningitis associated with the outbreak. One was a patient that was discharged this week, and the other was a patient who died in late September, hospital officials said.
The Michigan Department of Community Health and the CDC have reported five Michigan fatalities from the fungal meningitis outbreak as of Friday.
All five of the fatalities were patients that received injections at Michigan Pain Specialists in Brighton, according to a company-issued statement.
“Dr. John Chatas of Michigan Pain Specialists said that he is saddened to learn that the two additional patients reported to have died in the past two days had received injections at the Brighton clinic,” according to a statement from Michigan Pain Specialists.
An additional Michigan resident — a Cass County woman — also died of fungal meningitis. Health officials are not including her death in the overall case count for Michigan because she received the injectable steroid treatment at a facility in Indiana.
Michigan Pain Specialists was one of four facilities in Michigan that received shipments of the injectable steroids manufactured by NECC that were subject to recall by the CDC.
The University of Michigan Health System and St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor did not use the steroids manufactured by NECC, hospital officials have reported.
Several doctors that practice at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor also privately practice at Michigan Pain Specialists in Brighton.
The most important factor determining who gets sick seems to be how much fungus was contaminating a vial of medication, the Associated Press reported.
Sixteen states have confirmed cases of fungal meningitis, as the overall case count rose again Friday to 271 cases and 21 deaths — an increase of 14 cases and one death from Thursday.
Michigan has the second-highest number of cases and deaths in the nation, while Tennessee — the state that first identified cases in the outbreak — has the largest number of patients with 66 cases and 8 deaths as of Friday afternoon.
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.
Comments
BhavanaJagat
Sun, Oct 21, 2012 : 6:24 p.m.
Pain Management in elderly patients: It is just unfortunate to note that number of fatalities have increased and age of the patient appears to be a factor apart from early diagnosis and treatment. The rules of medical confidentiality would not let us understand this story. A woman from Florida State has sued the company and gave a detailed account of her case history. At her very first visit, the Pain Specialist administered the steroid injection. It did not help her and she described several other new symptoms that were not present at the time of her first visit. Yet, the Specialist administered the steroid medication for a second time. Her condition further deteriorated and when she went back, the Pain Specialist gave her a third dose of the same steroid. She went back home and had to call 911 Emergency and at the hospital the diagnosis of meningitis is made. I definitely find a problem in this particular case and the management is improper and is inappropriate.
sHa
Fri, Oct 26, 2012 : 2:04 p.m.
@BhavanaJagat - The age of the patient has NOTHING TO DO with the fact that the steroids were tainted. I am puzzled why you keep insisting that the management of the patients involved should have been handled differently. What part of tainted medication don't you understand? The medication was contaminated and harmed the patients. The medication, NOT the management, was the problem.
brian
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : 4:02 a.m.
How can this happen in the US? Something isn't right here.
1bit
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : 12:53 p.m.
You're right and this is terrible. We base a lot of what we do in life on trust. We trust our food/water supply isn't tainted, that our medicines are made/delivered/dispensed correctly, that other drivers on the road aren't drunk, that our contractor didn't take shortcuts in building our house, etc. Basically it comes down to accepting risk based on personal responsibility. So, we'll see how this plays out and who is responsible. In the meantime, thoughts and prayers to all those affected by this tragedy.
ypsicat
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : 3:17 a.m.
Excellent and concise reporting, thank you.
Caroline Petrie
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : 12:44 a.m.
The Meningitis Foundation of America (MFA), a national organization, would like the public & media to know that information is available regarding the diagnosis, treatment & prevention of meningitis. MFA was founded in 1997 by parents whose children were affected by meningitis. In addition to supporting vaccination & preventing meningitis, the MFA provides information to educate the public & medical professionals so that the early diagnosis, treatment &, most important, prevention of meningitis, will save lives. Meningitis is a dangerous & often times fatal inflammation of the brain &/or spinal cord that can leave survivors with serious life-long physical problems MFA would like to be considered as a news resource for the disease. For further information, visit the MFA website at www musa org. Thank you, MFA Box 1818 El Mirage AZ 85335 480 270 2652 World Meningitis Day 24 April 2013 www comoonline org Educate~Vaccinate~Eradicate
Ken Huston
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 9:52 p.m.
Does anyone have actual incubation period data of the patients diagnosed with meningitis in Michigan.
MARK
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : 12:31 a.m.
According to a report published online from the New England Journal of Medicine today incubation could be 1-6 weeks