First Death From Meningitis Outbreak Confirmed In Florida
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4/AP) - State health officials have confirmed the first death in Florida related to the meningitis outbreak that has affected several U.S. states.
The Florida Department of Health reported Tuesday that a 70-year old man died in July, before the discovery of the contaminated steroid medication authorities have linked to the infection. Officials say there are now six total cases in Florida, all in Marion County. More than 100 cases have been reported nationally, with about a dozen deaths.
Gov. Rick Scott said earlier Tuesday that authorities had contacted nearly 700 of the 1,185 patients linked to facilities that got tainted medicine in Marion, Miami-Dade, Orange and Escambia counties.
Health officials say as many as 13,000 people may have received tainted shots, and about 17,700 single-dose vials sent to 23 states have been recalled.
(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
