Fungal Meningitis
Bureaucracy is like a fungus that contaminates everything - Jaime Lerner
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Man-Made Meningitis: The Vice and Virtue of Science
[In 2015] Glenn Adam Chin, a former head pharmacist at the New England Compounding Center (NECC), was arrested and put under criminal investigation. His crime was related to a deadly meningitis outbreak that occurred across the country in 2012. This incident that killed 64 people and affected more than 680 others is a reminder of the potential criminal use of science.
Chin has been accused of several unsafe practices in his lab, which likely sparked the meningitis outbreak. Using improperly sterilized equipment and inaccurate testing procedures, as well as failing to maintain hygiene in sterile clean rooms, caused fungal contamination of the drug methylprednisolone acetate (MPA), meant…
Resources
Fungal Infections of the CNS: Diagnostic and Treatment Approaches
While fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are relatively rare, they have become more common with the increasing number of individuals who are immunocompromised due to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), immunosuppressive therapies, and organ transplants.
Trojan Horse: How a killer fungus unleashes meningitis and brain infection
Researchers identified a two-step invasion process mediated by the immune system, which, while being the body's primary defence against Cryptococcus infection, paradoxically promotes infection and meningitis.
Diagnosing and Treating Fungal Meningitis
Also, while some types of bacterial meningitis -- like Neisseria meningitidis -- are contagious, most other forms of meningitis, including fungal meningitis, cannot be passed on from person to person.
Chasing Clues to Detect Outbreak
The near-miss discovery of the fungal meningitis outbreak raises questions about other outbreaks that possibly were not detected. “Surely things have gone by, but I don’t know how often, and as good as our surveillance system is, it is not as good as it could be,” Dr. Kainer said.
Cryptococcal meningitis should be classified as a 'neglected tropical disease,' researchers say
Cryptococcal meningitis is a deadly invasive fungal infection which affects hundreds of thousands of HIV patients in the late stage of their disease every year. Attacking the tissues covering the brain and spinal cord, Cryptococcal meningitis is responsible for an estimated 15-20% of all AIDS-related deaths. Yet it is one of the most poorly-funded diseases in the world, receiving just 0.2% of available relevant research and development investment.
Everything You Need To Know About The Deadly Meningitis Outbreak
A rare form of meningitis has infected more than 200 people and claimed 15 lives. Are you at risk? And how did the outbreak start in the first place?
Fungal Meningitis Update: Infection Traveled Surprising Route
Exserohilum rostratum is a black mold commonly found in soil, but little is known about how it develops infections in human, as there had been very few cases reported before the outbreak of 2012.
How Serious Is the Fungal Meningitis Outbreak?
Contaminated medication has put thousands at risk for a rare form of meningitis—and the outbreak may last longer than first thought. An infectious disease expert explains what fungal meningitis is and the possible course the unfolding illness may take.
Lessons From Meningitis
The recent outbreak of fungal meningitis, which has resulted in a steadily increasing number of deaths, crystalizes the importance of vigilant regulation of the pharmaceutical industry and affirms the need for swift correctional mechanisms in the case of tainted medicines.
The Source of a Deadly Meningitis Outbreak
Late in the summer of 2012, doctors in the northeast United States began to notice numerous cases of fungal meningitis. As the outbreak grew, spreading across the region, public-health investigators determined there was a common source for the infection: A medication used in a common steroid injection had been contaminated at the source. When all was said and done, 751 people in 20 states had become ill and 64 of them died.
Unprecedented 'black mold' meningitis challenges doctors
The black mold creeping into the spines of hundreds of people who got tainted shots for back pain marks uncharted medical territory. Never before has this particular fungus been found to cause meningitis.
Man-Made Meningitis: The Vice and Virtue of Science
On September 14, Glenn Adam Chin, a former head pharmacist at the New England Compounding Center (NECC), was arrested and put under criminal investigation. His crime was related to a deadly meningitis outbreak that occurred across the country in 2012. This incident that killed 64 people and affected more than 680 others is a reminder of the potential criminal use of science.
Art For Arachnoiditis
Arachnoiditis is a spinal cord injury caused by the neurotoxins in spinal injections and invasive spinal procedures. This website is intended to provide a practical coping resource which supplements the numerous support groups available in Social Media and is NOT intended as medical advice or guidance.
Cryptococcal Meningitis
Cryptococcal meningitis should be classified as a 'neglected tropical disease,' researchers say - University of St George's London
Meningitis Centre Australia
Fungal meningitis is a very rare, life threatening disease and may be caused by a variety of fungi, including most commonly Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans . Fungal meningitis usually occurs in people whose immune system has been severely depressed by disease (e.g. leukaemia or AIDS or by immunosuppressant drug therapy).
Meningitis Now
Fungal meningitis is very rare. The symptoms are similar to those of other types of meningitis, but usually appear more gradually.
Meningitis Research Foundation
Fungal meningitis may be caused by several types of fungus, for example: Candida albicans. This is the fungus which causes thrush. In very rare cases it can cause a dangerous form of meningitis, especially in premature babies with very low birth weight. Cryptococcus neoformans. This fungus causes most cases of fungal meningitis.
CDC
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 weakened immune systems, like those with HIV infection or cancer, are at higher risk. The most common cause of fungal meningitis for people with weakened immune systems is Cryptococcus. This disease is one of the most common causes of adult meningitis in Africa.
MedicineNet
Although no specific activities are known to cause fungal meningitis, people with immune system problems are advised to avoid areas and geographical regions where soil, dust, or bird droppings may have high fungal contamination.
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