"Risks of Aggressive Fungal Infections in Medical Tourism Highlighted"

A study of a fungal meningitis outbreak in Americans who underwent cosmetic procedures in Mexico highlights the risks of medical tourism, with researchers finding that the Fusarium solari fungus was introduced to patients' spinal canals during an epidural, leading to devastating results. The fungus, commonly found in the environment, caused strokes and hemorrhages by aggressively attacking blood vessels in the brain stem. The CDC believes the anesthesia used was likely contaminated, and urges those who have received procedures outside the US to seek medical help upon returning, even if they don't have symptoms.