Meningitis outbreak numbers grow

The pharmacy at the center of the meningitis outbreak, the New England Compounding Company announced a voluntary recall of every product it makes. The numbers of meningitis patients has more than doubled since Oct. 5, 2012 andoutbreak has reached nine states withtotal casesrising to 105 confirmed infected and nine deaths.

Two shipments of the tainted medicine were sent to Idaho. One shipment to Emmett and the other to the Pain Specialists of Idaho Clinic in Idaho falls.

Employees of Idaho Clinic have been flooded with phone calls since the outbreak was annouces, they are still working to notify anyone who may be at risk. The clinic is urging anyone who has received epidural injections between July 1-Oct 1and who experience symptoms such as worsening of headaches, stiff neck, fever or flu-like symptoms to go to the emergency room. The people who have been infected in other states have also shown stroke-like symptoms such as slurred speech.

This outbreak is specific to the epidural injections of the steroid and is not contagious. The Centesr for Disease Control is reporting 13,000 patients may have been exposed to the contaminated steroids.

No illnesses related to the outbreak have been reported in Idaho.

The NECC is one of thousands of compound pharmacies that mix their own medicine and are not subject to FDA standards.

The NECC has said it is cooperating with health investigators to determine the source of the infections.