Second Floridian dies from tainted steroid shot

Health officials: Second Floridian dies from meningitis linked to tainted steroid medicine

Published On: Oct 11 2012 04:21:09 PM EDT   Updated On: Oct 11 2012 05:36:06 PM EDT
Vaccine shot
ORLANDO, Fla. -

An 83-year-old Marion County is the second person in the state to die from a national fungal meningitis outbreak.

Florida Department of Health officials on Thursday said that the man, who was not named due to health privacy laws, developed meningitis after he was injected with one of the contaminated lots of steroid medicine from the New England Compounding Center.

A 70-year-old man from Marion County died in July, before the discovery of the contaminated medication.

State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong says there have been seven cases of meningitis in Florida so far, with the latest person diagnosed identified as a 48-year-old man from Marion County.

Armstrong says health officials have identified 735 of the 775 people in Florida who received contaminated injections.

  • Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.