Andover Woman May Have Contracted Meningitis from Framingham Pharmacy
Federal health officials and New England Compounding Center have insisted none of the contaminated steroids were distributed in Massachusetts; this could mean other shipments may have been contaminated
State and federal health officials are investigating whether a Massachusetts woman contracted fungal meningitis after receiving steroid shots manufactured by New England Compounding Center, the Framingham specialty pharmacy at the center of a national fungal meningitis outbreak.
Nationwide, 33 people are dead, and more than 475 individuals are infected with fungal meningitis in 19 states.
The Andover woman, 71, received shots for back pain in August, September, and on Oct. 1 at the Merrimack Valley Pain Management Associates in Lawrence, her attorney, Peter G. McGrath told Boston.com.
“Around Oct. 23rd, she became terribly ill, was rushed to the hospital suffering headaches, body aches, fever and all the classic symptoms for meningitis,” McGrath told Boson.com.
The lawyer said the woman's discharge papers Lawrence General Hospital listed her diagnosis as fungal meningitis.
NECC originally recalled only 3 lots of the steroids, but later recalled every product it made.
The FDA released a list of customers, who received products from NECC in Framingham on or after May 21.
Click here to find all of Framingham Patch’s coverage of NECC and the meningitis outbreak.
