Meningitus Outbreak, Steroid Recall, List of States Affected, Already 5 Dead

Warning: 23 states have received shipments of a steroid that has been contaminated.  A rare fungal meningitis outbreak has occurred as a result and so far 5 are dead and 30 are sick in six states.  The sealed vial of steroid is called methylprednisolone acetate and is communal used to treat back pain, reported ABC News.

The steroid was created at the New England Compounding Center and the steroids are currently being recalled.  Already, the contaminated supply has been sent out to many states.  The Massachusetts pharmacy has already shut down their operations.

"If patients are concerned, they should contact their physician to find out if they received a medicine from one of these lots," Dr. Benjamin Park of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.  

Those affected by the outbreak were mostly healthy before receiving the steroids for back pain.  Symptoms of the rare fungal meningitis include dizziness, fever, headache, and slurred speech.  The disease can lead to death if left untreated.

All health providers have been urged to discontinue use of products from the New England Compounding Center.

Here is the list of states that received the recalled steroid, according to CBSNews.com.

California

Connecticut

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Maryland

Michigan

Minnesota

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Virginia

Texas

West Virginia