Estimated deaths and illnesses averted during fungal meningitis outbreak associated with contaminated steroid injections, United States, 2012-2013.

Abstract

During 2012-2013, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and partners responded to a multistate outbreak of fungal infections linked to methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) injections produced by a compounding pharmacy. We evaluated the effects of public health actions on the scope of this outbreak. A comparison of 60-day case-fatality rates and clinical characteristics of patients given a diagnosis on or before October 4, the date the outbreak was widely publicized, with those of patients given a diagnosis after October 4 showed that an estimated 3,150 MPA injections, 153 cases of meningitis or stroke, and 124 deaths were averted. Compared with diagnosis after October 4, diagnosis on or before October 4 was significantly associated with a higher 60-day case-fatality rate (28% vs. 5%; p<0.0001). Aggressive public health action resulted in a substantially reduced estimated number of persons affected by this outbreak and improved survival of affected patients.

• Authors: Rachel M Smith, Gordana Derado, Matthew Wise, Julie R Harris, Tom Chiller, Martin I Meltzer, Benjamin J Park
• Journal: Emerging infectious diseases (Emerg Infect Dis) Vol. 21 Issue 6 Pg. 933-40 (Jun 2015) ISSN: 1080-6059 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25989264 (Publication Type: Historical Article, Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Steroids

Topics

• Disease Outbreaks
• Drug Contamination
• Female
• History, 21st Century
• Humans
• Kaplan-Meier Estimate
• Male
• Meningitis, Fungal (epidemiology, history, mortality, transmission)
• Mortality
• Public Health
• Public Health Surveillance
• Steroids (administration & dosage)
• United States (epidemiology)