SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Federal health officials say Illinois is among 23 states that received shipments of a steroid linked to a deadly meningitis outbreak.
The Illinois Department of Public Health says there are no illnesses reported in the state.
Elsewhere, about 35 people have been sickened and some have died. All received steroid injections, mostly for back pain, a fairly typical treatment. The drug was made by a specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts that issued a recall last week and has shut down operations.
The type of meningitis involved is not contagious like the more common forms. This type is caused by a fungus often found in leaf mold. Health officials suspect it may have been in the steroid.
Investigators say they are still trying to confirm the source of the infection.
