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Infections that claimed hundreds of lives in the U.S. in 2012
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
The start of the year in the United States was marked by flu and colds, but ended with outbreaks of fungal meningitis, Nile fever and hantaviruses killing hundreds.
Thirty-nine people in nineteen states died from fungal meningitis. As it turned out, the cause was negligence of pharmacists. More than 600 Americans managed to survive, but the disease caused them physical and mental suffering.
In early September, a 78-year-old judge named Eddie Lovelace was taken to a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. On September 11, he complained to his wife of numbness in his arm and a severe headache. Soon, his legs gave out and he collapsed. Seven days after being hospitalized, Lovelace died. Doctors initially suspected a stroke, but it was later discovered that the cause of death was a fungal meningitis infection.
As it turned out later, the infection was caused by steroid injections prescribed to the man after a back injury sustained in a car accident.
This type of meningitis is not contagious, unlike regular meningitis, which is caused by bacteria. In this case, mold spores were to blame. The first victim, also a Tennessee resident, was also prescribed methylprednisolone acetate injections.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated and found that the drugs were from a single batch of methylprednisolone acetate that was contaminated with the fungus Exserohilum rostratum. The steroids from the contaminated batch were distributed to 23 states, resulting in a massive outbreak of fungal meningitis that killed more than 600 people. The manufacturer has ceased operations pending the investigation.
As of December 11, 5,387 cases of Nile fever have been reported, resulting in 243 deaths.
West Nile fever virus causes an acute viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Culex and by birds and rodents as reservoirs of infection. The disease is characterized by fever, lymphadenopathy, inflammation of the meninges, and systemic lesions of the mucous membranes.
Large numbers of cases of West Nile virus (WNV) infection have occurred in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, where there are large mosquito populations.
In 20% of cases, the disease does not show any symptoms and can be mild, in some cases it lasts for several weeks and can leave severe neurological consequences, and in 10% of cases the disease leads to death.
This summer, the United States saw its largest outbreak of hantavirus infections.
Hantaviruses cause an incurable disease, sometimes fatal. The virus primarily affects the respiratory system, and can also cause encephalitis or meningitis, infections of the brain and spinal cord.
More than 20,000 people who visited the famous Yosemite National Park this year were at risk of contracting the infection. It is reported that out of 10 infected visitors, three died. 22,000 people were warned about the danger of contracting the dangerous disease. The source of the infection was mice, whose population in the park had grown too large.
What awaits humanity in 2013? Most likely, the threat will be unpredictable.
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