Unanswered questions surrounding meningitis death

By: Sean Evans - Email

Updated: Thu 1:12 PM, Oct 18, 2012

"It bothers us. I'm bitter, I'm angry. I have so many emotions," said Joyce Lovelace.

Lovelace lost her husband, 78-year-old Eddie Lovelace, to fungal meningitis. Their family had no idea that was what killed him though, even after his death.

"Went through the funeral, burial, everything thinking it was a stroke," she added.

And Lovelace received no clues from her husbands doctors either.

"I said well, Eddie has passed away. And she was so sorry, and that was about it. Mentioned nothing about meningitis, said nothing about the contamination of the steroids," Lovelace said.

The late recognition is something that has health leaders nationally concerned.

"Most doctors are gonna have had no experience treating these infections. We want to provide guides to them to make sure they follow the correct steps in diagnosis as well as treatment," said Dr. John Jernigen, the clinical investigation team leader

The fungal meningitis is believed to have originated at the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts.
The CDC says the outbreak has spread across 15 states, affecting nearly 250 patients.

"I want to draw attention to these people that are doing this," said Joyce Lovelace.