FOXNews.com: Meningitis outbreak spreads to 18 states with South Carolina case

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Meningitis outbreak spreads to 18 states with South Carolina case Oct 25th 2012, 17:22 The deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis tied to tainted steroid medications from a Massachusetts company expanded to 18 states on Thursday with South Carolina reporting its first probable case of the disease. New England Compounding Center of Framingham, Mass., shipped the steroid to 23 states and all but five of those states now have reported cases of rare fungal meningitis. Related: 'Light at end of the tunnel' in deadly meningitis outbreak, doctor says  The five states which have not reported cases are California, Nevada, West Virginia, Rhode Island and Connecticut. "The patient is being treated with antifungal medications based on treatment guidelines recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," said Dr. Linda Bell, M.D. and Interim South Carolina State Epidemiologist. Some 312 people have been stricken with meningitis and 24 have died since the outbreak was discovered last month, according to CDC figures as of Wednesday. Most received steroid injections for back pain. Health officials have confirmed that some of the medication from NECC was contaminated with a fungus that they believe was injected directly into the spinal fluid of the patients. Another five patients have been diagnosed with infections of the joints after receiving injections from the medication. These could include infections in the knee, hip, shoulder or elbow. No deaths have been reported from joint infections. Health authorities have said they found unsterile conditions at the NECC facility, and the company faces multiple investigations. The steroid has been recalled and authorities are pulling all NECC products from the shelves nationwide.

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