A fungal meningitis outbreak among patients who had surgery in Matamoros, Mexico has resulted in two deaths in the US and left over 200 others at risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have stated that people who had epidural anesthesia at two clinics in Matamoros should be tested for meningitis. These clinics included River Side Surgical Center and Clinica K-3, which closed on May 13, 2022. Patients who have undergone epidural anesthesia can develop symptoms weeks after the surgery, which can become severe and life-threatening if left untreated. The CDC has asked anyone who had planned elective procedures to cancel these until there is evidence that the clinics are no longer a risk. The World Health Organization has been asked by health authorities in the US and Mexico to issue an emergency declaration to address the outbreak.
Medical tourism has become prevalent, with millions of US individuals traveling to other countries for medical care each year. Common procedures sought during these trips include dental care, surgery, fertility treatments, cancers, and cosmetic surgery.
Mexico’s Ministry of Health has released a list of 221 United States residents who might be at risk for meningitis as they were listed as having had a surgical procedure at one of the two clinics this year. Women are more at risk, with 205 of those exposed being female and 16 male. The median age of patients was 32, and 178 were from Texas. The CDC is collaborating with Mexico’s Ministry of Health and local health departments to respond to the outbreak. Health officials are working to determine which organisms caused the outbreak and whether any other clinics were involved.
