The Florida Department of Health has confirmed that two people in Central Florida have contracted meningitis from a contaminated drug and there may be more cases.
The two confirmed cases are a 87-year-old man and 65-year-old woman, both in Marion County.
DOH said, the fungal meningitis infecting the pair likely came from a contaminated product prepared by a compounding center in Massachusetts. However, DOH said, fungal meningitis is not contagious and work is ongoing with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other state partners to “ensure that Florida’s residents and visitors are safe.”
According to news reports, the tainted product was sent to 23 states nationwide and 35 people are now contaminated. So far, five people have died and there are concerns that many more people could be infected.
