June epidural steroid shipment not part of recall; 2 more sick

This undated photo made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a branch of the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. The fungus can also cause skin infections if it enters a break in the skin. The meningitis outbreak is linked to the fungus being accidentally injected into people as a contaminant in steroid treatments. It's not clear how the fungus got into the medicine.

Photo by Associated Press /Chattanooga Times Free Press.

NASHVILLE, — Tennessee health officials say they have determined that a June shipment of epidural steroids was not part of recalled batch that has been linked to a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak.

The Tennessee Department of Health had said on Friday that it became aware of the batch and officials were trying to determine whether it was part of the massive recall issued by the New England Compounding Center after the shots were linked to the outbreak, which has sickened 197 people in 13 states and led to 15 deaths. Tennessee health officials said they don’t think any shipments of the injections arrived there until June 27.

Meanwhile, health officials said on Saturday the number of meningitis cases in Tennessee had increased by two to 52, with six deaths reported.