More than 30 000 people could have been affected. The drug, which contains the active ingredient methylprednisolone-21-acetate and is injected near the spinal cord, has been supplied in 23 of the 50 U.S. States, according to the CDC.
A total of 76 medical facilities received the drug, which is mainly used to treat chronic inflammatory diseases. So far, the traps have been limited to nine states. The form of meningitis transmitted with the drug is not contagious. Doctors are now searching for additional patients who may have received the contaminated drug. Affected batches have been administered since may, CDC said.
At first, the symptoms seem almost harmless: patients feel weak and have headaches and fever. In addition, however, there will be dizziness and symptoms of paralysis – as in the case of a mild stroke. Because symptoms sometimes do not appear until four weeks after infection, the disease is not easily recognized.
It is still unclear how the contamination of the drug occurred, the CDC said. The entire production of the manufacturer NECC in framingham (US state of massachusetts) was already confirmed on 3. October stopped for now. Most of the affected states record few cases so far, but in virginia there are 23, in michigan 21 and in tennessee 35.