Symptoms of fungal meningitis include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and confusion, according to the CDC.
The husband of a mother of four who died after contracting fungal meningitis when she traveled to Mexico for plastic surgery is speaking out to Inside Edition, issuing a warning to not go south of the border for cosmetic procedures.
Lauren Robinson passed away early this month at the age of 29, after spending close to a month in a Texas hospital fighting for her life.
Her husband, Kevin, spoke to Inside Edition saying, “don't go to Mexico for anything like plastic surgery. It's not worth losing your life."
At least four Americans have died after contracting fungal meningitis while getting cosmetic surgery in Matamoros, Mexico, and there is an urgent warning from the CDC to not go to Mexico for any kind of cosmetic procedures.
Robinson wanted to fix a botched breast augmentation surgery from years ago that left her scarred. She decided to go to a clinic in Matamoros for the procedure. The town is notorious for questionable conditions and cut-rate cosmetic procedures.
In addition to getting her breast fixed, she got a Brazilian butt lift and liposuction.
She chronicled her journey on social media and her husband tells Inside Edition, "she went back to work everything was fine.”
Then suddenly, things took a turn for the worst.
"She kept randomly having really bad migraines where she wanted to cry,” Kevin said.
Kevin added it “didn’t take long to realize” they both had suspicions that it had something to do with the surgery in Mexico.
Doctors determined that Lauren had contracted fungal meningitis and it's believed she got it from either contaminated anesthesia or unsterilized equipment in Mexico.
She suffered four mini strokes as her health declined and was put on a ventilator. She died on May 31, three months after her surgery.
Celine Gounder, editor-at-large for Public Health at KFF Health News tells Inside Edition, "you are putting a needle into the spinal canal, so if anything, the needle or anything else is contaminated as you do the procedure, you can be introduced to fungus or other contaminates into the spinal canal and that can cause a meningitis."
Symptoms of fungal meningitis include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and confusion, according to the CDC.
Health officials also note that it can take weeks for symptoms to develop, and they may be very mild or absent at first.
Once those symptoms start however, they can quickly become severe and life-threatening, which is why early testing is crucial.
