Steroid Blamed in Meningitis Outbreak Distributed in Merrimack

State health officials and two Pain Care LLC centers are working together to contact roughly 186 patients who received a medication that has been recalled due to its connection to a strain of meningitis that has sickened 35 people and killed five in six states. No cases have been confirmed in New Hampshire at this time.

According to a press release sent by the Department of Health and Human Services Thursday afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control Prevention is investigating a national outbreak of fungal meningitis and the New England Compounding Pharmacy of Framingham, Mass., produced the recalled medication that was distributed to Pain Care LLC, in Somersworth and Merrimack locations only. Pain Care is located at 3 Mound Court and has 12 locations around the state.

Pain Care has returned the unused recalled product to the manufacturer, the release said. The  steroid medication is used for injections for pain management.

“We  are  working very closely with Pain Care who are today working to contact the roughly 186 patients who received this medication,” said NH’s Public Health Director Dr. Jose Montero. “We are not aware of any cases in New Hampshire related to this outbreak at this time. We are also conducting surveillance to identify people who might be affected by this situation. We realize this is concerning as this can be an extremely serious and in some cases fatal illness.”

the NECC issued a recall of the product on Sept. 26 and has voluntarily suspended operations while it assists authorities in the investigation.

The company recalled three lots of Methylprednisolone (PF) 80mg/ml injection produced at NECC. The lot numbers of this product are:

• Methylprednisolone Acetate (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #05212012@68, Beyond Use Date (BUD) 11/17/2012
• Methylprednisolone Acetate (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #06292012@26, BUD 12/26/2012
• Methylprednisolone Acetate (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #08102012@51, BUD 2/6/2013

There are many different types of meningitis, a general term for an infection or inflammatory process involving the lining of the brain and central nervous system. The cases under investigation have no relation to the much more common forms of bacterial or viral meningitis.

Last fall, Bedford Town Manager Russ Marcoux died from complications due to bacterial meningitis.

This particular form of meningitis in this outbreak is not transmissible from person to person. The cause of the outbreak is believed to be associated with the recalled medication but it is still under investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal  Drug Administration, according to the release.

To date, there have been 35 cases and five deaths in six states. However, the situation continues to evolve and the number of cases will likely change in the coming days.

For more information, visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov or call the DPHS Bureau of Infectious Disease Control at 603-271-4496.