Remember the fungal meningitis outbreak? It hasn’t been that long since it swept the nation: spinal injections contaminated by mold sent fungus right to the brain, causing meningitis. Initially, those infected had a very low survival rate, but as doctors figured out what was happening, what had caused it, chances improved.
Well, the initial spinal meningitis scare has passed, but just this week there’s been a recall of more injections contaminated with mold. The drugs, which were intravenous rather than spinal, had been distributed in New Jersey and Connecticut.
The recall was voluntary (no symptoms of fungal disease yet), but if you live in the area and have received intravenous medication, keep an eye out.
Is this chance? Or better monitoring because of the last outbreak? If the later, it’s horrifying to think what the chances might be of receiving medication contaminated with a fungus like the black mold outbreak we saw last year.
What can you do? Keep it in mind when you’re in the hospital—the difference between life and death in the last outbreak was a quick diagnosis followed by treatment. Although there’s lots of more-common-than-you-think illnesses that aren’t routinely checked for (parasites, etc.), anything caused by having mold shot into you will require a faster reaction by doctors.
Then, fortify yourself. Eating probiotics, which replenish the supply of good bacteria in your gut, can help your GI Tract fight invading fungi. Keep your body running it’s best with exercise, good nutrition, and plenty of sleep. And if you want one last step, support your immune system with MesoSilver colloidal silver.
Do all these medicine recalls have you raising an eyebrow? Let us know what you think in the comments: