At least four people have died from fungal meningitis after having procedures completed at clinics in Mexico.
Health officials want anyone who may have had a procedure with epidural anesthesia at two clinics associated with the outbreak to get tested for fungal meningitis, even if they do not have symptoms.
Symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and altered mental status.
The two clinics have been identified as River Side Surgical Center and Clinica K-3. They are located in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The clinics were closed on May 13. Anyone who had a procedure under epidural anesthesia in those clinics from Jan 1 to May 13 has potentially been exposed.
The Mexican Ministry of Health gave the CDC a list of U.S. residents who had procedures at those clinics and the CDC is working to contact those people. Anyone who was potentially exposed should immediately go to the nearest emergency room for testing. The testing includes a lumbar puncture (LP), also called a spinal tap.
| Case Types | Case Counts |
|---|---|
| Persons under investigation | 179 |
| Suspected Cases | 14 |
| Probable Cases | 10 |
| Confirmed Cases | 4 |
| Deaths | 4 |
What to do if you were exposed to fungal meningitis
If you had epidural anesthesia in Matamoros, Mexico, at River Side Surgical Center or Clinica K-3 from January 1 to May 13 you should go to your nearest emergency room. Even if you don’t have symptoms, you should still get tested, according to the CDC.
The CDC reported that people without symptoms or with mild symptoms have tested positive. Early treatment can prevent the illness from becoming more severe. Fungal meningitis can start mild and become life-threatening without treatment.
A spinal tap is done by inserting a needle into the patient’s lower back in a space around the spine to collect fluid. That fluid is then tested in a laboratory.
“When you arrive, tell emergency room staff that you need to be evaluated for possible fungal meningitis. Tell them that you recently had epidural anesthesia at one of the clinics in Mexico involved in this outbreak,” the CDC said.
Fungal meningitis is not contagious and is not spread from person to person, according to the CDC.
More information is available on the CDC’s outbreak and patient notifications page.