WASHINGTON: Eight people have now been killed and 97 others sickened by an outbreak of fungal meningitis in nine US states, the BBC reported.
The death toll rose by one and the number of cases was up from 91, said the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
It is feared thousands could be hit by the illness, linked to tainted steroid injections used to treat back pain.
Local police have been enlisted in some areas to help identify patients who might have been exposed to the disease.
The drugs have been traced to the New England Compounding Center, in Framingham, Massachusetts.
The CDC said the drug manufacturer had voluntarily recalled all products in circulation that were made at its Framingham facility.
Nine states have been affected Tennessee, Michigan, Virginia, Indiana, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina and Ohio. (QNA)
