'Second Wave': 13th MN Victim of Tainted Steroids Has Bone Infection

State health officials warned Thursday about a "second wave" of fungal infections in Minnesota from contaminated steroid medication made at the New England Compounding Center (NECC), a pharmacy in Framingham, MA.

The outbreak has hit 13 people in Minnesota, the latest a woman in her 20s who the Minnesota Department of Health said Thursday contracted a bone infection. Eleven of the Minnesota victims had a different kind of infection: fungal meningitis.

Nationwide, the outbreak has killed 32 people (none in Minnesota) and infected nearly 500, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Six clinics in Minnesota used the medication:

• Medical Advanced Pain Specialists (MAPS) in Edina, Fridley, Shakopee and Maple Grove
• Minnesota Surgery Center (MSC) in Edina and Maple Grove

Here is the announcement from the MDH:

Health officials announce 13th case of fungal infection and stress need for continued vigilance
States now seeing a second wave of cases with clinical manifestations other than meningitis

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has identified a 13th patient with an infection following treatment with contaminated injectable steroids from the New England Compounding Center (NECC) of Massachusetts. The patient is a female in her 20s and not currently hospitalized. Her infection is consistent with osteomyelitis, an infection that occurs inside the bone.  One previous Minnesota case also had an infection of the bone.

Infected fluid collections, or abscesses, occurring at the site where patients received the contaminated injection have also been identified in a number of cases in other states.

Health department officials are continuing to encourage patients who received contaminated steroid and have persistent symptoms to see their health care providers. Health officials are also advising health care providers who are seeing patients who received the contaminated NECC product to have a low threshold for further evaluation of patients that may include imaging to look for infections in the bone or abscesses.

The U.S. Federal Drug Administration is investigating other products from the pharmacy. More than 100 facilities in Minnesota received shipments from the NECC including clinics in the cities of: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Burnsville, Eagan, Northfield, Shakopee, Woodbury, Inver Grove Heights, Stillwater, Maple Grove, Apple Valley, Edina, Plymouth, Fridley. However, officials have not linked these other medications to the outbreak. All 13 of Minnesota's victims were patients at the original six clinics listed above.

Federal officials and NECC co-owner Barry Cadden are appearing before Congressional committees this week; Cadden invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and did not respond to questions.