One woman has died and four others have been hospitalized after undergoing liposuction and other cosmetic surgeries in Mexico.
The people, aged between 30 and 50, were diagnosed with fungal meningitis – a swelling of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord caused by a fungal infection.
They had all traveled from Texas to clinics in Matamoros on the Mexico border and three days to six weeks later had developed the potentially fatal condition, which can lead to seizures and coma.
The surgeries took place between February and April, and US health officials have sounded the alarm about the cases, urging Americans to cancel medical procedures in Matamoros.
It’s unclear what type of fungus the patients were infected with, but cases of C. auris are increasing in the US due to hospitals not properly sterilizing equipment.
A woman has died and four others have been hospitalized after undergoing cosmetic surgery including liposuction in Mexico. According to health officials, the women were treated at clinics in Matamoros, Mexico, including the River Side Surgical Center (left) and Clinica K-3 (right).
The map above shows the location of Matamoros where the intrusions took place. People are strongly advised not to go there for medical procedures
About 1.2 million US citizens travel to Mexico each year to have elective surgery at a discount, according to Medical Tourism Mexico, which touts patients can save up to 80% over a comparable procedure in the US
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Texas Department of Health issued an alert on the cases on Tuesday.
They said each patient received an epidural, in which an anesthetic is injected into the area around the spinal cord to numb the pain.
Among the clinics the women had visited was the River Side Surgical Center, which offers liposuction and Brazilian butt lifts.
At the time, it was not clear if the cases were related or where the patients had contracted. Officials are monitoring other cases.
The CDC sounded the alarm and asked anyone who had booked treatment in Matamoros that involved an epidural injection to cancel the procedure.
The agency added that those treated there since January should watch out for warning signs of meningitis.
Those who had concerns were told to speak to their doctor.
dr Jennifer Shuford of the Texas Department of Health said, “It is very important that people who have recently received medical treatment in Mexico monitor themselves for symptoms of meningitis.”
“Meningitis, particularly when caused by bacteria or fungi, can be a life-threatening condition if not treated promptly.”
South of the US border there is a booming medical tourism industry where treatments can be offered at a fraction of the cost in the US.
According to figures, about a million Americans cross the border to receive medical treatment each year.
Matamoros was also the scene of the attack on four Americans in March that left two dead.
Meningitis is swelling of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord due to infection.
It can be caused by infection in these areas from fungi, including Blastomyces, which has caused an outbreak in Michigan, and Candida albicans, the fungus that causes thrush.
Patients cannot transmit the infection to others, but symptoms such as fever, severe headache, stiff neck, and sensitivity to light can occur.
Patients can have seizures, go into a coma, and later die from the infection.
The women were diagnosed with fungal meningitis, or swelling of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord due to a fungal infection
Treatment involves administration of antifungal medications, typically via an IV IV. You may take the medication for six months to a year.
It comes after a victim of the Valley Fever fungus revealed he had battled the disease hard for five years.
Business owner Nick Duggan, 45, is one of around 20,000 people who contract the disease each year, which is caused by the fungus coccidioidomycosis. Scientists warn that this disease will become more common as the climate warms.
The Australian native most likely contracted the disease while quad biking in the San Diego desert in 2010 while visiting his wife’s family. He thinks he inhaled the fungal spores scattered in the dust.
By the time doctors figured out what it was, the infection had spread to his spine and brain, causing meningitis that left him bedridden for four months and hospitalized for five years.
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