Florida Facilities That Have Compounding Products

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) has identified a third death associated with a nationwide outbreak of fungal meningitis from a contaminated steroid. The 78-year-old man was from Marion County. He had received an injection of methylprednisolone acetate prepared by the New England Compounding Center (NECC) which is implicated in a nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak that has sickened 257 Americans and killed 20.

With the report of the third death in Florida, local Florida health departments are contacting patients who may have visited any one of 83 South Florida medical facilities that received some sort of medication from the New England Compounding Centers (NECC) since January.

That includes 38 facilities in Palm Beach County, 29 in Miami-Dade, and 16 in Broward County.

In Florida, eight healthcare facilities received the contaminated steroid injections from the tainted NECC lot. Two of the facilities told the Sun-Sentinel they never used the product.

Among the eight facilities that received contaminated injections include Advanced Pain Medicine & Rehab in Fort Lauderdale and Delray Beach, Orthopedic Surgeons and Memorial Same Day Surgery Center- West in Pembroke Pines.

Other facilities receiving other NECC products include Boca Raton Community Hospital, Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood and Palms West Hospital in Loxahatchee.

There is no indication the medications sent to these facilities are contaminated, but in an abundance of caution, the facilities have been told to contact patients who may have received any products to look for signs of meningitis, regardless of whether or not they received an injectable.

Symptoms of fungal meningitis include fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, or any combination of these symptoms. Fungal meningitis is not contagious.

On Thursday, October 18, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the fungus responsible for the contamination – Exserohilum rostratum. It was identified from one vial of steroid injection.

In Florida, all three deaths occurred in Marion and Escambia Counties.

The Florida Department of Health has issued a list of all of the facilities that received NECC products.

List of Facilities