Center for Disease Control investigating fungal infection in Joplin

The Springfield News-Leader reports a team from the Center for Disease Control has arrived in Joplin to investigate the fungal infections that have affected Joplin tornado victims:

Jacqueline Lapine, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Senior Services, said CDC "has deployed assets to Springfield and Joplin to do further investigation into these reports."


The infection, mucormycosis, may have a fatality rate of 50 percent or higher. It has sickened about eight people who were injured in the tornado. The spores can infect people with traumatic injuries, but the fungal infections are rare in healthy people and clusters of them are even rarer.

Officials have said at least three people with the infections have died, but whether the infection caused all or some of the deaths is unclear.