4 more cases of meningitis in NJ - New York News | NYC Breaking News

4 more cases of meningitis in NJ

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MYFOXNY.COM -

New Jersey heath officials said four more cases of fungal meningitis have been linked to nationwide outbreak and brings the total number of cases in the state to eight. 

The four cases that were announced on Saturday are two women from Salem County, one 37-year-old woman received meningitis from a steroid injection September 20 and the other is a 33-year-old woman who received her injection on July 25. 

Authorities said the two other patients are a 77-year-old woman from Atlantic City who received a steroid injection August 22 and a 64-year-old man from Cumberland County who was injected on September 6.

The patients in the four other cases in New Jersey are also residents of Cumberland County. Officials said seven of those patients are still hospitalized.

Health officials say more than 600 patients received the steroid injection at six facilities across the state between May 21 and September 26.

Nearly all of the patients have been contacted and warned that they could be at risk of contracting the infection. Officials say there is a chance that some patients may have contracted meningitis but not realize it because the symptoms usually take anywhere from one to four weeks to develop after receiving the contaminated injection.

The symptoms of meningitis include fever, headaches, neck stiffness and sensitivity to light or swelling.

All of the victims are part of a national outbreak that's linked to contaminated steroid medication from a Massachusetts laboratory. 

The injections are being used to treat back pain.

The Associated Press contributed to this story 

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