Downstate clinic administered tainted injections

Illinois health officials say they’re investigating reports that five patients developed abscesses after receiving potentially contaminated steroid injections at a downstate clinic.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said Friday that all five patients received injections at the Logan Primary Care clinic in Herrin between Jan. 3 and Feb. 21. The steroid was methylprednisolone acetate and was produced by a compounding pharmacy in Tennessee.

The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that it’s investigating seven reports from patients who received steroid injections from Main Street Pharmacy.

Methylprednisolone acetate is the same drug at the center of last year’s deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis, caused by contaminated injections from a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy.

Health officials say no reports of meningitis have been reported.