meningitis news stories on Newser

Rare Bug Kills SF Disease Researcher, 25

Rob Quinn — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:46:00 CDT

A young researcher at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center has been killed by the rare strain of bacteria that he was researching. Richard Din, 25, died in the hospital where he worked just 17 hours after coming down with a bloodstream infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis...

Tainted Wipes Blamed in Toddler Death

Rob Quinn — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 04:24:06 CST

The parents of a 2-year-old boy who died from a rare infection blame contaminated alcohol swabs and wipes for his death. Their son was recovering well from surgery before he contracted a fatal case of meningitis caused by a bacteria rarely found in hospitals. The couple say their son's death...

Angela's Ashes Author McCourt Gravely Ill

Nick McMaster — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:58:31 CDT

Angela's Ashes author Frank McCourt is battling skin cancer and meningitis and is near death, his brother tells the New York Daily News . McCourt, 78, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his 1996 memoir about growing up in poverty in Ireland, is under hospice care, says his brother Malachy. "His...

Forget Swine Flu— 5 Pandemics to Fear

Kevin Spak — Sun, 10 May 2009 10:00:55 CDT

While the world panics over swine flu, many far more serious outbreaks lie in wait, reports Foreign Policy . Here are some you won’t see on TV—yet: Cholera: The deadly diarrheal infection is rampant in Africa, with infections shooting up 96% in 2006. The current outbreak in Zimbabwe has killed...

Obama Praises Nurses, Recalls Sasha Scare

Evann Gastaldo — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:00:00 CDT

President Barack Obama’s White House Internet town hall meeting yesterday wasn’t all business: he also discussed his soft spot for nurses, People reports. During his response to a health policy question, the president remembered the care given to daughter Sasha during her hospitalization with life-threatening meningitis at age 3 months....

Merck Recalls 1M Doses of Vaccine for Kids

Wesley Oliver — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 19:14:29 CST

Merck is recalling almost a million doses of a childhood vaccine after it found evidence of contamination at one of its factories, the AP reports. The pharmaceutical giant says no children have been harmed after taking Hib, which prevents meningitis and pneumonia, but the company is recalling its 10 lots...

Nigeria Sues Pfizer Over Deadly Tests

Sam Gale Rosen — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 12:35:06 CDT

Nigeria is suing pharma giant Pfizer for $7 billion, claiming the company carried out improper trials on children. 200 children in the state of Kano died, and others developed deformities, after Pfizer tested Trovan, an experimental antibiotic, during a 1996 meningitis outbreak. Nigeria claims the tests were unauthorized, but Pfizer...