Fungal meningitis is not spread from person to person. Symptoms of meningitis can include fever, headache, stiff neck, vomiting, sensitivity to light and changes in mental status. They may take weeks to develop and be mild at first, but they can quickly become severe and life-threatening.

Health officials are urging prospective patients to cancel certain procedures in Matamoros while they investigate the outbreak. Medical tourism, including in Mexico, has become more common people seek lower-cost procedures and shorter waits for care, particularly for dental care, surgery, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments.