MN records 13th illness from bad steroids

Public health officials have confirmed Minnesota's 13th fungal infection linked to contaminated steroids.

The latest case involves a woman in her 20s who developed a bone infection.

Most of Minnesota's fungal cases have resulted in meningitis, which is an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. But this latest infection did not result in meningitis.

Dr. Aaron DeVries, medical director of the Infectious Disease Division at the Minnesota Department of Health, said the state is now experiencing a second wave of infections that occur near the injection site.

"We had one prior case and now with the second one we felt it was important to alert folks to this finding that while the numbers of meningitis may be coming down, we still need to be very vigilant about not only meningitis but infections in other places," DeVries said.

DeVries said it's not clear how long patients remain at risk for these types of infections.

"The unprecedented nature of the contaminated injections being given makes it very, very difficult to be able to provide that reassurance that the risk has gone down," DeVries said.

Other states have also reported fungal infections that have occurred in patients' bones, fluids or tissues near their injection sites.

The contaminated steroids were produced by a compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts that is now shut down.