Due to the current outbreak of fungal meningitis New Jersey has reported 18 cases. No deaths have occurred in the state. The total number of cases is 386 in 19 states and there have been 28 deaths. Seven places in the state of New Jersey reported receiving shipments of steroids from the New England Compounding Center. Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists PC in South Plainfield, NJ, Edison Surgical Center in Edison, NJ, IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence in Teaneck, NJ, Premier Orthopedics Surg. Assoc., LLC in Vineland, NJ, Comprehensive Pain Management in Sparta, NJ, South Jersey Health Care in Elmer, NJ and South Jersey Healthcare in Vineland, NJ were listed bythe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The New England Compounding Center is responsible for shipping out tainted vials of injectable steroids, methylprednisolone acetate. Three lots were distributed to 23 states, New Jersey being one of them. The cases and deaths continue to rise as patients being to develop symptoms and check to see the places on the list that had the bad steroids. The company has since stopped production and recalled all of its products while they are being investigated. Issues with sterility are being check at the pharmacy in Framingham, Massachusetts. Two more drugs that came from that pharmacy are also now being investigated as well.

Patients are experiencing symptoms one to four weeks after getting a shot and report signs of headache, fever, nausea and vomiting, stiff neck, slurred speech, vision changes, pain and swelling at the site of the injection, weakness and numbness.