The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said two of the deceased were exposed to epidural anesthesia procedure and subsequently contracted meningitis.
This is a disease that can be caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi, as in this case, which, if not treated in time, endangers life.
More 500 people in the US and Mexico are under surveillance because of the possible risk of fungal infection.
Two cosmetic surgery clinics in the Mexican city of Matamoros on the US border have closed.
Authorities in both countries have urged people who have undergone epidural surgery in River Side Surgery Center or K-3 Clinicfrom this city in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, get verified.
This is even if they currently have no symptoms.
Meningitis has already been diagnosed in Mexico in 23 cases, of which 9 people live in Texas, USA, and 14 live in Mexico.This is reported by the Ministry of Health of this country.
CDC reported the number 25 people in the USA with “suspected” or “probable” cases of fungal meningitis.
A spokesman for the US agency told CBS, the BBC’s US partner, that they have called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency.
Operations at a lower cost
Thousands of Americans travel to Mexico each year for cosmetic procedures such as liposuction, breast augmentation, and buttock lifts at a lower cost than at home.
These procedures require injecting an anesthetic into the epidural areaaround the spine.
Dallas Smith of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said drugs used during anesthesia during the current outbreak may have been contaminated in this injection or in other drugs added during surgeries, such as morphine.
“Currently there is a drug shortage in Mexico and there is a possibility of a black market that could have contaminated the drug,” Smith said.
Last October, authorities discovered that a batch of an anesthetic commonly used for operations such as caesarean sections was contaminated with a fungus, killing 39 people in the Mexican state of Durango.
First symptoms quickeryou will join from fungal meningitis are headaches followed by symptoms such as fever, vomiting, neck pain and blurred vision.
No contagious and treated with antifungal drugsbut it can quickly become life-threatening once symptoms appear.
For the WHO to declare a public health emergency, the disease must spread between different countries. If so, then a coordinated international response may be needed to control it.
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Source: La Opinion
Alfred Hart is an accomplished journalist known for his expert analysis and commentary on global affairs. He currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker, where he provides readers with in-depth coverage of the most pressing issues affecting the world today. With a keen insight and a deep understanding of international politics and economics, Alfred’s writing is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the world we live in.