Americans urged to cancel surgeries in Mexico border city after meningitis cases, 1 death

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — State and federal health officials are warning U.S. residents to cancel planned surgeries in a Mexico border city after five people from Texas developed suspected cases of fungal meningitis. One of those people died. The Texas Department of State Health Services said Tuesday that the five people who became ill traveled to Matamoros for surgical procedures that included the use of an anesthetic injected near the spinal column. Matamoros is across the border from Brownsville, Texas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory Tuesday for U.S. residents seeking medical care in Matamoros.  Meningitis is the swelling of the protective covering of the brain and spinal cord.