Social media influencer mom, 31, dies of meningitis after contracting FUNGAL an infection throughout breast implant surgical procedure in Mexico
A mom of three from Texas has died after touring to Mexico to get a boob job and contracting meningitis — making her the ninth American sufferer within the outbreak of the yeast an infection.
Crystal Villegas, 31, spent the previous 4 months combating for her life in a Texas hospital after contracting fungal meningitis, a uncommon an infection that causes swelling across the mind and spinal wire.
She traveled to Riverside Clinic in Matamoros, Tamaulipas State, Mexico, situated on the Texas, US border, reportedly to save cash on the surgical procedure.
It is feared the outbreak, linked to 2 Mexican clinics, has contaminated lots of and has already killed 9 American girls, largely younger moms, highlighting the risks of so-called “medical tourism.”
Crystal Villegas, 31, spent the previous 4 months combating for her life in a Texas hospital after contracting fungal meningitis
Ms. Villegas battled the an infection for 4 months at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen
Mrs. Villegas lived in Brownsville within the state, simply throughout the border.
She was handled at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen after her boob job and died at round 6:30 p.m. on July 30.
Her husband Juan Tapia, a brilliant featherweight boxer who fights underneath the identify Johnny Blaze, stated: “It was a tough four months, she fought hard and never gave up.”
According to Mr Tapia, his spouse regretted the breast implant surgical procedure and desperately needed to see her three younger kids develop up and develop up.
He added, “Those few months were very hard, very hard for me, but I’m glad she’s resting now.”
In the times following the surgical procedure in Mexico, Ms. Villegas started to complain of extreme complications and her situation worsened with a excessive fever.
After going to the emergency room, checks revealed she had meningitis.
Ms. Villegas pictured together with her husband Juan Tapia, a brilliant featherweight boxer who fights underneath the identify Johnny Blaze
Nine Americans have died after beauty surgical procedure at River Side Surgical Center (left) and Clinica Ok-3 (proper) in Matamoros, Mexico
Mr Tapia additionally claimed that two mates of Ms Villegas had additionally died following beauty surgical procedure, together with an in depth buddy in March.
Ms. Villegas is considered one of 9 Americans to have died from the yeast an infection, together with mom-of-two Jody Adkins, mom-of-four Lauren Robinson, who has had a boob job, liposuction, and Brazilian butt carry (BBL), and mom-of-one Shyanne Medrano, who has had liposuction. and underwent a BBL. According to native information media, one other Mexican affected person has died.
Before she died, Mr. Tapia stated his spouse was “learning to walk again, to go to the toilet again, to talk again.”
He added: ‘Please be aware of the risks associated with cosmetic procedures. Our hope is to spread awareness so that people can actually do the research.
‘It changes everything. Everything. It is not worth it.
“I wish this was all just a bad dream we could wake up from and go back to the day before the surgery and somehow convince her not to go.”
Each year, more than one million U.S. citizens travel to Mexico for low-cost cosmetic procedures in private clinics where safety protocols are often inadequate compared to U.S. standards.
The map above shows the location of Matamoros, where the procedures took place. People are urged not to go there for plastic surgeries
About 1.2 million U.S. residents travel to Mexico each year to receive elective surgery at a discount, according to Medical Tourism Mexico, which advertises that patients can save up to 80% on a similar procedure in the U.S.
Earlier in 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised US residents not to undergo procedures in Mexico involving epidural medications because of an “outbreak of fungal meningitis.”
The fungus isolated at the two clinics appears to be Fusarium solani, which was linked to a previous outbreak of meningitis in Durango, Mexico, late last year.
According to the CDC, that outbreak, which was also linked to epidural anesthesia procedures, had a death rate of nearly 50 percent from those infections — with 39 deaths out of 80 cases.
The new outbreak is believed to be due to contaminated epidural equipment used in procedures such as a BBL or dodgy morphine.
The victims of the latest outbreak paid up to $5,000 for their surgeries, a fraction of the price they would pay in the US.
Health officials told DailyMail.com in June that they had been able to reach about half of the 230 people who had surgery at both clinics since the beginning of the year. The outbreak was first reported in May 2023.
Both clinics closed in May. But if other confirmed cases are found in other facilities, the number of risks could be much higher.
The CDC is urging anyone who has undergone epidural surgery (an injection into the spine to numb a part of the body) at either clinic this year to get to the nearest emergency room as soon as possible. going to be evaluated even if they have no symptoms.
The epidural is used in procedures such as liposuction, breast augmentation and Brazilian buttock lifts, which can be more than $16,000 cheaper than in the US.
If a woman has these surgeries done in the US, it can cost up to $20,000.
Chris Van Deusen of the Texas Department of Health told DailyMail.com that while most of the cases were women, some were also men.
He said: ‘If anyone knows anyone who may have gone to Matamoros for surgery, please let them know that they could be affected and to know what to look out for. health department in their area to get more information.”
In its latest update, the CDC said it is investigating 151 people who may have the infection.
There have been nine deaths. Eight of these are confirmed cases and one is a probable case. There are now a total of ten confirmed cases.
The patients monitored by the CDC reported symptoms such as headache, fever, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, confusion and sensitivity to light.
Dr. Tom Chiller, chief of the fungal disease division at the CDC, told DailyMail.com, “IIt’s so essential to get folks in as early as potential and it’s probably not too late.
“I feel to this point the longest interval from time of process to signs has been as much as 50 days.
“Fungi generally have these lengthy indolent durations and we’re unsure why and so it’s not too late, we would like folks to return in and be evaluated.”
Dr. Chiller added that the company doesn’t but know the precise supply of the fungal meningitisand ‘unfortunately we will never know.’
He stated the CDC is open to the truth that the an infection may have occurred in different clinics. It is presently believed that the supply of the an infection is the morphine offered to sufferers by anesthesiologists.
