NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee health officials report four more people have been sickened by an outbreak of fungal meningitis.
State Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner (DRYZ'-nur) said in a press conference Friday that there are 29 cases in the state and three deaths.
The new cases raise the total to 39 people in six states who contracted the rare meningitis after receiving steroid injections for back pain. Five have died.
The commissioner repeated three times that "the evidence indicates this is a product issue." He said the clinics administering the shots had no way of knowing the injections were contaminated.
The Massachusetts pharmacy that supplied the steroid has recalled nearly 17,000 lots of the medical while federal officials have warned health care providers not to use any products from the New England Compounding Center.
