Meningitis Outbreak Information
| Please Note: MetroHealth does not use any products from the compounding center involved in the recent meningitis cases across the country. |
What is fungal meningitis?
Fungal meningitis is rare and usually the result of spread of a fungus through blood to the spinal cord. Although anyone can get fungal meningitis, people with weak immune systems, like those living with AIDS or cancer, are at higher risk.
How do people get fungal meningitis?
Fungal meningitis is not contagious, which means it is not transmitted from person to person. Fungal meningitis can develop after a fungus spreads through the bloodstream from somewhere else in the body, as a result of the fungus being introduced directly into the central nervous system, or from an infected body site infection next to the central nervous system.
What are the symptoms?
Signs and symptoms of fungal meningitis may include the following:
- Fever
- Headache
- Stiff neck
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sensitivity to light
- Altered mental status
As a MetroHealth patient, am I at risk for getting fungal meningitis?
No. The MetroHealth System does not use the steroid injection linked to the fungal meningitis outbreak. So far there is only one case in the state of Ohio but there are none in greater Cleveland.
The Ohio centers that received the tainted steroid shots from the New England Compounding Center:
- Back Pain Specialist (Marion)
- Cincinnati Pain Management (Cincinnati)
- Marion Pain Clinic (Marion)
- Ortho-Spine Rehab Center, INC. (Dublin)
What questions should I ask my doctor?
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you have any of the above symptoms.
Rest assured that MetroHealth staff will contact you immediately if we encounter any outbreak, not only at MetroHealth but anywhere in Greater Cleveland.
Patient safety is a top priority at MetroHealth. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact the pain management specialists at MetroHealth. 216-778-3700.
More information on the meningitis outbreak can also be found on the Centers for Disease Control website.
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