Governor Rick Scott says 4 confirmed meningitis cases in Fla.

All cases related to Marion County facility

Published On: Oct 09 2012 10:18:56 AM EDT   Updated On: Oct 09 2012 03:06:14 PM EDT
Vaccine shot
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -

Gov. Rick Scott says four confirmed meningitis cases in Florida are linked to a national outbreak that of meningitis has claimed 11 lives and sickened 119 people, an increase from the eight deaths and 105 illnesses previously reported, according to the CDC.

Scott said Tuesday that all four cases are related to the same facility in Marion County. He says that as of Monday 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 suspect a tainted steroid medication made by a specialty pharmacy is to blame. They don't know how many of the shots have been contaminated with meningitis-causing fungus tied to the outbreak. Investigators say as many as 13,000 people may have received the tainted shots and about 17,700 single-dose vials sent to 23 states have been recalled.