Mexico Doctor Blamed for Meningitis Outbreak that Kills 35

A Mexico doctor who authorities say is responsible for a meningitis outbreak that has killed 35 people and infected 79 was arrested Tuesday, according to authorities.

The main prosecutor in the northern state of Durango, Sonia de la Garza, claimed the anesthesiologist had used contaminated morphine. However, the charges made against him remain unclear, AP reports.

Specifically, De la Garza claimed the doctor used "improper procedures" when providing spinal blocks to pregnant patients.

The Mexico doctor, who was kept anonymous, allegedly carried his supply of morphine from one private hospital to another, where he transmitted a fungal infection that had already tainted the drug at the first facility.

The medicine may have been improperly stored. Moreover, the anesthesiologists must bring their opiates and other controlled medications to some smaller Mexican hospitals and maternity clinics since these facilities either lack dispensing pharmacies or are not licensed to handle such drugs.

The morphine, according to De la Garza, was in "multi-use" vials that could be used on multiple patients, and she claimed that testing had ruled out the risk that it would have been contaminated at the time of production.

Mexico Authorities Arrest Owners of Private Hospitals

Prosecutors said they had obtained arrest warrants for the owners or directors of four private hospitals in the outbreak area, implying that the institutions were directly liable for the infected anesthetics and that the medicine had not been tainted during production or shipment.

Officials from Mexico's Ministry of Health have stated that they are collaborating with their counterparts in Durango to investigate the source of the outbreak, said the Independent.

The Mexico government has received the aid of the World Health Organization in its quest to determine the source of the meningitis outbreak and the most effective means of containing it.

Durango is one of the least populated states in Mexico, with a population of less than 2 million. Five neighboring states surround it to the north and west, including Zacatecas, Sinaloa, and Chihuahua.

Meningitis Outbreak Probably Started in August

Meningitis is often associated with excruciating brain and spinal cord inflammation, which is frequently brought on by a virus, occasionally by bacteria, and occasionally by a fungal infection.

At a news conference on Tuesday, de la Garza told reporters that the infected patients may have contracted fungal meningitis during medical procedures at the same facilities where the Mexico doctor worked.

According to her, many patients received anesthesia for obstetric procedures in August last year, which may have been the cause of their initial infection.

Since the first known fatality in the meningitis outbreak was in November, there has been growing concern in Mexico and among foreign organizations about the situation.

De la Garza further noted that the jailed doctor was the only physician who performed surgeries at any of the four afflicted facilities.

However, according to de la Garza, the Mexico doctor denied prescribing any of his drugs.

Three suspects were also taken into custody, but their full names were not released.

Reuters could not immediately contact the doctor for comment or find his attorney, but when they contacted the doctor's son, who defended his father and declared his innocence.

The son, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of his safety, stated that the authorities accused his father without any evidence.

According to the Mexican Ministry of Health, the meningitis epidemic has been contained at the city's private hospitals.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Deaths from meningitis in Mexico rise to 21 - From TeleSUR English