6 people dead from fungal meningitis outbreak after receiving cosmetic procedures in Mexico

Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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This file photo taken in April 2020 shows the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
This file photo taken in April 2020 shows the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

At least six people who underwent cosmetic procedures such as liposuction and breast augmentation in Mexico have been killed as a result of a fungal meningitis outbreak.

All told, nine people who received epidural anesthesia during various surgical procedures at one of two clinics in Matamoros, Mexico, have confirmed cases of fungal meningitis as of Friday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another 10 people have been diagnosed with probable cases, while 169 people are under observation, the agency said.

Officials have linked the cases to River Side Surgical Center and Clinica K-3, both located just south of the U.S.-Mexico border near Texas. Both clinics were closed May 13 and the CDC issued a travel advisory the same month urging Americans to postpone elective procedures in the area.

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Officials urge patients to seek treatment

The rising death toll now stands at a half-dozen days after U.S. officials confirmed in mid-June that four people had died from the suspected outbreak.

The CDC said earlier this month it was collaborating with the Mexican Ministry of Health and U.S. state and local health departments to respond to the outbreak among patients who traveled to Matamoros, which is across the border from Brownsville, Texas.

Officials are working to reach all those who may be at risk, but the agency has urged anyone who had procedures under epidural anesthesia from Jan. 1 to May 13 at the two identified clinics to seek emergency medical treatment. Testing includes an MRI and a lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap.

What is fungal meningitis?

Fungal meningitis is a rare but life-threatening fungal infection that causes swelling of the areas around the brain and spinal cord, according to the CDC. Symptoms may be mild or absent for weeks, but can grow in severity and include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and confusion.

The infection is not contagious, meaning it cannot be spread from person to person but rather develops after a fungal infection from elsewhere in the body spreads to the brain or spinal cord.

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This microscope photo provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a Fusarium sp. fungal organism in 1972. The U.S. CDC says the death toll has risen to six in an outbreak of fungal meningitis tied to surgical procedures in a city along the U.S.-Mexico border, and they have not been able to reach everyone who may be at risk of infection. Labs have detected fungal signals consistent with Fusarium solani species complex from the cerebrospinal fluid of patients receiving follow-up care in Mexico or the United States. (Dr. Lucille K. Georg/CDC via AP) ORG XMIT: NY429

CDC data shows that in the last five years, American deaths from fungal diseases have been on the rise.

An estimated 7,199 deaths from fungal diseases occurred in 2021 in the United States, according to the CDC, which noted that the exact toll is difficult to know because many cases go undiagnosed. That represents a 51% increase from 2018, when 4,746 fungal deaths were recorded.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @EricLagatta.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meningitis outbreak at Mexico cosmetic surgery clinics: 6 dead