The CDC has confirmed a third death in a fungal meningitis outbreak linked to two surgery clinics in a Mexico border city.
The agency has identified two confirmed cases and 25 probable or suspected meningitis cases among people who underwent surgical procedures with epidural anesthesia in Matamoros, Mexico, between January and May.
Three U.S. laboratories and Mexico's national laboratory have detected Fusarium solani in the cerebrospinal fluid of several affected patients. Six patients have also presented with elevated levels of beta-D-glucan, a biomarker of fungal infection, the CDC said in a June 1 health alert.
In total, the agency is monitoring 212 people in 25 states and jurisdictions who may be at risk of fungal meningitis. U.S. and Mexico officials have also asked the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern over the outbreak.