Expert’s Corner: Stuart Levitz on fungal meningitis outbreak

Stuart M. Levitz, MD, professor of medicine and microbiology & physiological systems, whose research is focused on combating fungal infections, is closely following the fungal meningitis outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people in 15 states, killing 15, all of whom reportedly received contaminated steroid injections from a Framingham compounding facility.

In this Expert’s Corner video, Dr. Levitz explains how the outbreak appears to have happened and how difficult it is to treat this rare and deadly infection.

“I’ve seen cases of human meningitis before, but this particular fungus that’s causing the meningitis is extremely rare,” Dr. Levitz said. “To my knowledge it’s never caused meningitis before.”