脑膜炎疫情死亡人数升至14人

U.S. federal health officials say the number of deaths from an outbreak of rare fungal meningitis caused by a contaminated steroid has risen to 14.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that there are 169 confirmed cases of the disease.  It says 90 percent of all patients who received the tainted medicine have been identified.

Officials say more than 50 vials of the steroid manufactured by the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts have tested positive for the fungus.

They also say the company may have broken state law by making large batches of the steroid and selling it out of state.  Under Massachusetts law, compounding pharmacies are only permitted to make small doses of made-to-order prescription drugs.

The patients who have come down with meningitis were being treated for back pain.  Others patients were injected in the knee, neck, or ankle joints and are only at a slight risk for meningitis.  Health experts say they do not know how many people will actually become sick. They say it could take several months for a fungal infection to develop.