March 23, 2023 – More people have died after using eye drops contaminated with what the CDC calls a “rare strain of highly drug-resistant” bacteria.
The eye drops and ointments from EzriCare and Delsam Pharma were recalled earlier this yr.
Three people have now died, eight people have lost their sight and 4 people have needed to have their eyeballs removed in a procedure called enucleation. A month ago, the outbreak had caused just one death.
So far, 68 people in 16 states have been affected by the contaminated eye drops, with cases spanning from May 2022 to February 2023, the CDC said in its Latest updateMore than half of the sickened people were linked to 4 outbreaks in health care facilities, the CDC said. Most people developed symptoms before the CDC issued a warning on Jan. 20, a CDC spokesperson said. told NBC News.
Laboratory tests previously confirmed the presence of the bacteria P. aeruginosa in bottles of EzriCare products from patients with and without infections.
“Testing of unopened bottles of EzriCare artificial tears is currently underway to determine if contamination may have occurred during manufacturing,” the CDC said.
The names of the recalled products are EzriCare Artificial Tears, Delsam Pharma's Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma's Artificial Eye Ointment. Most of those affected reported using artificial tears, the CDC said. The mostly used product was “EzriCare Artificial Tears, a preservative-free, over-the-counter product in multidose bottles.” This was also the product utilized in the 4 health care facility outbreaks, where a complete of 37 cases were reported.
Anyone who has used the products and has any of the next symptoms of a watch infection should seek medical attention immediately:
- Yellow, green or clear discharge from the attention
- Eye pain or discomfort
- Redness of the attention or eyelid
- Foreign body sensation in the attention
- Increased sensitivity to light
- Blurred vision
There are currently no recommendations from the CDC for individuals who have used the products but do not need symptoms of a watch infection.