Pharmacy: Cleaners should share blame for meningitis outbreak
Bottles containing injectable steroids distributed by the New England Compounding Center, suspected in a meningitis outbreak.
January 4th, 2013
03:49 PM ET

Pharmacy: Cleaners should share blame for meningitis outbreak

A Massachusetts pharmacy linked to a meningitis outbreak says its cleaning contractor should share blame for an apparent mishap that left dozens dead nationwide.

The New England Compounding Center sent a letter to UniFirst Corp. demanding it share responsibility for a tainted steroid used to treat pain and inflammation, according to a filing this week with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company said that it "seeks to establish a fund to compensate individuals and families affected" by the outbreak, which has been linked to 39 fatalities among the 656 cases tallied in 19 states.

Patients contracted fungal meningitis after their spines were injected with a contaminated steroid called methylprednisolone acetate, health officials have said. According to health agencies, the compounding center did not follow proper sterilization procedures and distributed its products without knowing whether they had passed sterility tests.

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Filed under: Health • Massachusetts
soundoff (27 Responses)
  1. Philip

    The local newspaper here in town (Colo Spgs Gazette) reported "17 children die of flu" a couple of years ago. Soon, pharmacies and supermarkets were advertising discount flu shots for kids.
    About 3 months later, The Gazette published a retraction: NONE of the children had died from the flu as reported. ALL had died from simple staph infections after having their immune systems disabled by flu shots.

    January 6, 2013 at 11:23 am | Report abuse |
    • dazzle ©

      Hello @Philip, that's exactly why I refuse to get flu shots.

      January 6, 2013 at 11:26 am | Report abuse |
  2. Philip

    I can't help it if my stories are more interesting than CNNs. The truth is stranger than fiction. I didn't make it that way. Sheesh!
    "Since when has a man been allowed to speak truth [to the Roman Senate] and live?" – Cicero's father giving him advice on defending a man suspected of "terrorism"...a man who's own sons stole his small pieces of furniture and nobody cared b/c the man was a suspected terrorist.

    January 6, 2013 at 2:14 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Joey Isotta-Fraschini ©™

    Sí, Maestro.

    January 6, 2013 at 3:19 pm | Report abuse |
  4. bobcat (in a hat)©

    test

    January 7, 2013 at 2:26 pm | Report abuse |
  5. the prophet

    Here is the conspiracy, the Government with prejudice plants viruses into schools to test their potency and range of outbreak, ironically to develop med and control the outbreak.

    January 8, 2013 at 9:20 am | Report abuse |
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