(SitNews) Anchorage, Alaska - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are coordinating a multi-state investigation of fungal meningitis among patients who received an epidural steroid injection (medication injected into the spine). According to CDC, Alaska is not one of the 23 states that have received this product.

The company that distributed the medication associated with an outbreak of meningitis in the Lower 48 has now recalled all products compounded at and distributed from one of its facilities as a precautionary measure. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said some of the products in this precautionary recall came to Alaska.

None of the medication implicated in the meningitis outbreak has come to Alaska, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

The FDA had previously issued guidance for medical professionals that all products distributed by New England Compounding Pharmacy, Inc. dba New England Compounding Center (NECC) should be retained and secured. While there is no indication at this time of any contamination in other NECC products, they are being recalled out of an abundance of caution.

The FDA, the CDC and the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy are investigating the outbreak and potential risk of contamination.

“Alaska has had no reported meningitis cases associated with the implicated product,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services will continue to monitor the situation and notify the public if any Alaska cases are identified.

The Alaska providers who received medications on the precautionary recall list have been notified to return them.

The Lower 48 outbreak is associated with pain medication injected into the spine. As of Sunday, the outbreak comprises 91 cases in nine states, with seven deaths.

Several patients in the Lower 48 who received the injections have had strokes related to the meningitis. In several patients, the meningitis was found to be caused by a fungus that is common in the environment but rarely causes meningitis. This form of meningitis is not contagious. The source of the fungus has not yet been identified, and the cause of infections in the other patients is still being assessed.

“Alaska has had no reported meningitis cases associated with the implicated product,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services will continue to monitor the situation and notify the public if any Alaska cases are identified.

Edited by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

On the Web:

For more information about the outbreak
www.cdc.gov/HAI/outbreaks/meningitis.html

For more information about the recall
www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm322901.htm

Source of News: 

Alaska Department of Health & Social Services
www.hss.state.ak.us

SitNews ©2012
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews may be protected by copyright and may not be reprinted without written permission from and payment of any required fees to the proper sources.