Minn. confirms 2 more meningitis cases

Minnesota has confirmed two more cases of fungal meningitis linked to contaminated steroids, bringing the state's total number of confirmed meningitis cases to seven.

Assistant State Epidemiologist Richard Danila said both patients are being treated with antifungal medications.

"One is a male in his 50s and he's currently hospitalized and he had received an epidural injection with a contaminated lot of methylprednisolone acetate," Danila said. "The other is a woman in her 40s. She's hospitalized. She also had received an epidural injection."

The five other Minnesota patients who have been infected with fungal meningitis include a woman in 20s, three women in their 40s and a woman her 70s.

Danila said more confirmed cases are likely in the weeks ahead. He said so far the longest incubation period reported for this meningitis outbreak is 41 days.

"Now that's the longest to date, but we don't know how long it might be because people were receiving injections up until a few weeks ago," Danila said. "It may be longer. We don't really have a lot of other fungal diseases to look at, so we don't know what the outside period of time might be."

Nationally, 247 people have been infected with fungal meningitis linked to contaminated steroids produced by a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy. Nineteen people have died.