Eye drops contaminated with a drug-resistant bacteria may have caused death, blindness and eyeball removal in the United States, according to officials.
About 68 patients in 16 states, from New York and Washington to Texas and Florida, have been identified with a rare strain of pseudomonas aeruginosa by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Prior to the current outbreak, it had never been reported in the WE Before.
While one person died, there were eight reports of vision loss and four of people having their eyes surgically removed, the CDC said.
Most infected patients reported using artificial tears.
Of the more than 10 brands initially identified, the most common was the over-the-counter product EzriCare.
Lab tests on opened bottles taken from patients have revealed that they contain the bacteria.
The unopened bottles are currently being examined to see if contamination occurred during production.
India-based Global Pharma Healthcare, which makes artificial tears EzriCare and Delsam Pharma, issued a product recall last month after the CDC urged people to stop using the eye drops immediately.
Pictured: Ezricare
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A number of patients have already launched legal action, including a Florida woman who claims she lost an eye after using the now recalled eye drops.
His attorney Natasha Cortes told NBC News, “It doesn’t contain preservatives, which are used to combat bacterial contamination in these products.
“There are probably a lot more people who have gotten infections than are unaware of it.”
Patients who have used the products and have symptoms of an eye infection are advised to seek urgent medical attention.
Signs include yellow, green, or clear discharge from the eye, discomfort or pain, redness, blurred vision, and increased sensitivity to light.
