Punxsutawney Area Hospital: We never used medicine targeted as source of meningitis outbreak

October 16, 2012

PUNXSUTAWNEY — In response to the escalating number of inquiries about the tainted spine steroid shot related to a deadly national outbreak of meningitis, practitioners at Punxsutawney Area Hospital (PAH) want to reassure patients that PAH’s supply of steroids was not involved.

“Punxsutawney Area Hospital does not currently (have), nor have we ever had, any medication in our facility that was produced by NECC, the compounding pharmacy which shipped the vials of the potentially contaminated product,” said Tom Moore, R.Ph., Director of Pharmacy Services.

Federal health officials say 15 people have died and 205 people in 14 states have been sickened as a result of the deadly meningitis outbreak.

Fungal meningitis is not contagious; it does not spread from person to person.

Symptoms include high fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea or vomiting, seizures, confusion and sleepiness.