Deadly meningitis outbreak in Mexico caused by anesthetics

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s Public Health Department said Thursday that a worrisome outbreak of 61 meningitis cases in the northern state of Durango this month was linked to anesthetic procedures used at local hospitals.

At least a dozen people have died and a dozen more are listed in serious condition because of the meningitis outbreak.

“This disease was not passed from person to person,” the department said in a statement. “This is a case where the infection was (spread) directly into the central nervous system through anesthetic procedures.”

The department blamed contamination . . .