Another local fungus infection reported in tainted steroid probe

Another person in the Charleston area has been infected by a fungus that investigators have linked to a tainted steroid tied to the deaths of 44 people nationwide.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported this week that South Carolina now accounts for two of the 678 cases of fungal infection in 19 states associated with the steroid methylprednisolone acetate.

South Carolina’s first infection linked to the steroid, described as a probable case of fungal meningitis, was reported in late October by Intervene MD of North Charleston and Mount Pleasant.

“The second S.C. case reported by the CDC was a patient of InterveneMD,” said Dale Aren, a spokesman for InterveneMD.

“While we cannot reveal any personally identifying health information regarding this patient, the individual is under the supervision of medical specialists who are providing and managing care,” Aren said.

Aren said in an e-mailed statement that the cause of the infection is unknown at this time, but it is not believed to be meningitis.

In the first case, a patient at the local clinic received a spinal injection of the steroid from New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. Amid a federal investigation, the company shut down, surrendered its license and recalled all its products. The patient was hospitalized for treatment.

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