ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota health official says the state hasn't found any cases of a rare kind of meningitis, as federal health officials warned doctors and hospitals to avoid a Massachusetts specialty pharmacy linked to a widening national outbreak.
Minnesota Health Department spokesman Buddy Ferguson said the state doesn't have any cases currently.
The outbreak has sickened 35 people in six states. Five have died. All had gotten steroid shots for back pain.
Federal officials say investigators found contamination in a sealed vial of a steroid at the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass.
The company recalled the steroid last week and shut down operations. The recalled steroid was shipped to facilities in 23 states since July.
