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Health officials being extra cautious as they monitor meningitis outbreak

Ohio Department of Health web site

Health officials continue to keep a close watch on the meningitis outbreak linked to recalled steroid injections. 

The Ohio Department of Health recently published a Food and Drug Administration list of 64 facilities in the state that received products of any kind from the New England Compounding Center.  But ODH spokeswoman Tessie Pollock says this is a precaution since, so far, only 3 lots of one particular steroid from NECC have been linked to the fungal meningitis.

"It's not that these expanded recalled products have been connected to any illnesses.  It's not that we know of any particular risk," said Pollock.  "We're just making sure that health care providers are aware that they received them and that they reach out to their patients to just make them aware to be monitoring for any symptoms in case any illnesses do develop."

Pollock says there are only four providers in Ohio that received the steroid involved in the original recall.  She says these were used for back injections. 

Nine people in the state have become ill, including a case from Hamilton County and one from Warren County.   No one in Ohio has died.  Indiana has seen more than 30 cases, with two fatalities.