Meningitis outbreak linked to Mass.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - A pharmacy in Massachusetts is under the microscope after being linked to a deadly outbreak of meningitis.

So far, dozens of cases have cropped up in five different states.

The steroid injections that are believed to be the source of the outbreak were shipped to 23 different states. Four people have died. Two in Tennessee and one each in Maryland and Virginia.

The FDA was able to identify a specialty pharmacy in Framingham as the manufacturer of those injections. The pharmacy has shut down, but health officials are warning that the number of cases has not reached it's peak, as it can take up to 28 days for symptoms to show.

This is a fungal form of meningitis, which vaccinations do not protect against. Fortunately, this form of meningitis cannot be spread from person-to-person.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane surrounding the brain or spinal cord.