Texas warns against surgeries in Mexico over fatal meningitis cases
The Texas Department of State Health Services issued an alert this week about five cases of meningitis contracted by patients who traveled to Matamoros for medical procedures and received an epidural or anesthetic injected into the spinal region. The DSHS has described meningitis as the swelling of the protective covering of the brain and spinal cord.
“It is very important that people who have recently had medical procedures in Mexico monitor themselves for symptoms of meningitis,” DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford said in a prepared statement. “Meningitis, especially when caused by bacteria or fungus, can be a life-threatening condition unless treated quickly.”
Health officials have advised the public to postpone or cancel upcoming surgeries in Matamoros that involve epidurals, including liposuctions. Additionally, anyone who has had surgery in Matamoros within the year should contact their doctor and monitor for symptoms such as fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and sensitivity to light.
At the end of 2022, Mexico reported nearly 80 cases of meningitis, including 35 fatalities, all linked to a contaminated batch of anesthetics, Latinus reported. Most of the cases have been in the western state of Durango.
The city of Matamoros and its medical tourism industry made international headlines earlier this year when Gulf Cartel gunmen abducted four US citizens who surrendered for cosmetic surgery for one of them. . As Breitbart Texas reported, the only suspects arrested in this case are individuals the Gulf Cartel turned over in an effort to appease government officials. The case also exposed a vast network of loosely regulated or questionable clinics that offer cosmetic surgery services to American customers at low prices.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist from Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter And Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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