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Mich. death toll rises to 8 in meningitis outbreak

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Officials say two more Michigan residents have died as a result of the national meningitis outbreak.

The victims are an 81-year-old woman from Charlevoix County and a 64-year-old woman from Wayne County. The Department of Community Health said Tuesday that there have been 62 Michigan meningitis cases, including eight deaths.

The illness has been linked to contaminated steroids made by a Massachusetts pharmacy and shipped to at least four Michigan clinics.

Besides the confirmed cases of meningitis, Michigan officials also report one stroke, four joint infections and 27 abscesses. The tainted steroids were injected to relieve pain.

Latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Illnesses: 363, including seven joint infections.

Deaths: 28.

States: 19; Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.