U.S. meningitis cases mount from thousands of patients at risk

More cases of fungal meningitis tied to contaminated steroid shots are expected to be confirmed on Tuesday, U.S. health officials said, and some patients who received the injections may have to wait weeks to know if they are infected. Since the September 25 recall of three lots of a steroid produced by a Massachusetts company, the outbreak has spread to nine states and 105 patients, with eight people killed, the Centers for Disease Control said. As many as 13,000 people received the injections and are at risk of infection, the CDC said, although the number ultimately stricken is likely to be far fewer.