By Jimmy Downs

Sunday Oct 7, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an update on the ongoing meningitis outbreak today on its website saying that as of Oct 7, 2012, it  has received reports of 91 cases of meningitis and 7 deaths from the infection from the states.

The cases of meningitis are reported from multiple states  including 4 cases from Florida, 8 cases from Indiana, 3 cases including 1 death from Maryland, 20 cases including 2 deaths from Michigan, 3 cases from Minnesota, 2 cases from North Carolina, 1 case from Ohio, 32 cases including 3 deaths from Tennessee, and 18 cases including 1 death from Virginia.

The meningitis outbreak was caused by epidural steroid injections prepared by a "pharmacy" company  in Boston, Massachusetts.  The company is kind of a pharmacy because its medications or drugs prepared without being regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. 

The FDA keeps saying anything that is tended to diagnose, prevent and treat disease should be considered to be drugs and should be subject to its approval for marketing in the United States. But strangely enough, the steroid injections of concern were used by physicians for pain management and they are drugs by the FDA definition.  Nevertheless, the FDA does not have any "medical grade" oversight over the production and marketing of these medical preparations.

Health observers expect more cases of meningitis and death from the infection to be reported in near future because the steroid injections implicated in the meningitis outbreak were contaminated with some fungi, which may not be easy to get killed in human bodies.  Depending upon the type of the fungi, it can survive for months or even years and when the patient's immune response goes down, it can strike.

Those who received the tainted steroid injections should take good care of their health, particularly their immunity to prevent the fungi from striking to cause meningitis when their immunity gets weak.  Something that they can do and may help them, in the writer's opinion, include

1) a good nutrient balance in their diet, making sure they have good immunity against any type of infection.  Be aware that meningitis in patients who received the steroid injections can be a secondary infection, which may occur after a patient contracts another infection like colds and flu first;

2) using supplements or foods high in vitamin C and vitamin D, selenium, garlic and zinc, which studies suggest may help boost immunity;

3) having sufficient sleep. Lack of sleep can lower a person's immune response.

4) having lots of sun exposure.  This make sure to help a person acquire sufficient vitamin D to prevent any infections.

5) avoiding use of antibiotics. Antibiotics kill probiotics promoting growth of fungi.

The death rate of the meningitis in the outbreak is about 8 to 10%.  This means that the overwhelming majority of patients survive.  Because of this, the hope for the minority of people who are at risk of death from the infection is great.  

Health officials advise that patients who have received the tainted steroid injections should immediately rush to the emergency room at a local hospital if they experience any symptoms of meningitis, which can be headaches, fever, nausea, and stiffness of the neck, confusion, dizziness, and discomfort from bright lights.

(Disclaimer:  Information released in the article may be purely of personal opinion and it is not medical advice of any sort.  Patients need to seek advice from licensed professionals to prevent and treat any disease.)