State health officials are warning United States residents traveling to the south of the border to Matamoros, Mexico, for cosmetic surgeries due to fungal infections.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, people should be on alert about suspected cases of fungal meningitis, where four people currently are hospitalized, and one person has died.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, fungal meningitis can develop after a fungal infection is accidentally introduced during a medical or surgical procedure or spreads from somewhere else in the body to the brain or spinal cord.
The five victims who traveled for the surgical procedures had an anesthetic injected into the area around the spinal column.
According to Valley Central, the victims had surgeries performed at clinics in Matamoros, including River Side Surgical Center and Clinica K–3.
Symptoms of fungal meningitis include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, and sensitivity to light. The CDC warns if you experience any of these symptoms, to go to a hospital emergency department immediately and tell them about your procedure and where you traveled.
Health officials said if you’ve had a procedure in Matamoros, Mexico involving an epidural injection of anesthetic any time since January 1, 2023, monitor yourself for symptoms and consult your doctor.
Fungal meningitis infections are not contagious and are not transmitted from person to person.
