美国联邦卫生官员说，因注射被污染类固醇而患上罕见的真菌性脑膜炎而死亡的人数升至14人。
美国疾病控制中心星期四说，已经有169个被证实的病例。该中心说，已经找到90%接受了被污染针剂注射的病人。
官员们说，麻萨诸塞州的新英格兰化合物中心生产的类固醇中，经检验受到真菌污染的玻璃瓶针剂超过五十个。
他们还说，这家公司有可能违反了麻萨诸塞州的法律，大批量生产类固醇，并向外州出售。根据麻萨诸塞州法律，合成药物只允许生产小剂量的定做的处方药。
病人为了治疗背部疼痛却患上脑膜炎。其他一些病人在膝盖、脖子或踝关节接受注射，他们患上脑膜炎的风险不大。卫生专家说，他们不清楚将会有多少人生病。他们说，真菌感染的过程可能会几个月。
U.S. federal health officials say the number of deaths from an outbreak of rare fungal meningitis caused by a contaminated steroid has risen to 14.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that there are 169 confirmed cases of the disease. It says 90 percent of all patients who received the tainted medicine have been identified.
Officials say more than 50 vials of the steroid manufactured by the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts have tested positive for the fungus.
They also say the company may have broken state law by making large batches of the steroid and selling it out of state. Under Massachusetts law, compounding pharmacies are only permitted to make small doses of made-to-order prescription drugs.
The patients who have come down with meningitis were being treated for back pain. Others patients were injected in the knee, neck, or ankle joints and are only at a slight risk for meningitis. Health experts say they do not know how many people will actually become sick. They say it could take several months for a fungal infection to develop.
