Brighton Facility Received Contaminated Steroid Linked to Meningitis

State Health officials reported that a Brighton facility was one of four Michigan facilities that received shipments of steroid medication suspected of causing a Fungal Meningitis outbreak.

Michigan Pain Specialists in Brighton as well as Michigan Neurosurgical Institutes in Grand Blanc, Neuromuscular and Rehabilitation in Traverse City and Southeast Michigan Surgical Hospital in Warren are working with health officials to identify and notify patients who may have received the medication through epidural injection between July and October.

Michigan currently has six confirmed cases of meningitis associated with this outbreak, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH). As of Friday afternoon, 49 cases and five deaths have been reported from six states.

Fungal meningitis is not transmitted person-to-person. Infected patients became ill between one to four weeks following their injection.

Symptoms include:

• Fever
• New or worsening headache
• Nausea
• Stiff neck
• Sensitivity to light
• Signs of stroke (weakness, numbness, slurred speech)

The MDCH is urging any individual who received an epidural steroid injection or steroid injection into a joint at one of the four Michigan facilities and is experiencing symptoms consistent with fungal meningitis or a stroke, to immediately contact their physician or seek medical attention.