Minn. reports 5th fungal meningitis case
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Minnesota has confirmed its fifth case of fungal meningitis linked to contaminated steroids.
State health officials say the person is a woman in her 20s. Her condition is unavailable.
The four other Minnesota patients who have been infected range in age from their 40s to their 70s.
Minnesota Department of Health spokesman Doug Schultz said he wouldn't make too much of the fact that all of the patients so far, are women.
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"I don't have any indication at this point that that points to anything specific," he said. "It could be just pure coincidence."
The Health Department began contacting a new batch of patients over the weekend who were exposed to contaminated steroids at two Twin Cities pain clinics.
Schultz said the additional patients bring the total of exposed people to as many as 950.
"MAPS, one of the pain clinics, did find approximately 90 patients that had previously been overlooked, so we wanted to make sure those were included," he said. "We now are again trying to go back and contact some additional patients."
