The maker of an over-the-counter eye drop brand said it was recalling EzriCare artificial tears after it was linked to a drug-resistant strain that has killed at least one person and blinded five others. .
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised People should stop using eye drops because authorities are investigating an outbreak of a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that can cause infections in the blood, lungs, and other parts of the body. This bacterial strain has never been identified in the United States prior to the current outbreak and is resistant to classes of antibiotics. carbapenemgenerally considered a last resort.
The strain had been found in 55 people in 12 states as of Tuesday. the CDC saidThe agency said the infection caused one death, visual loss in five of the 11 people with eye infections, and several hospitalizations.
Global Pharma, the Indian company that makes EzriCare eye drops, said it was recalling the drops “out of an abundance of caution.”
“Global Pharma is cooperating fully with U.S. federal authorities and continues to investigate this matter, but so far we have not been able to determine whether our manufacturing facility is the source of the contamination.” The company issued a statement by email.
Most of the people affected by the outbreak used artificial tears before being infected, the CDC said. They reported that he used over 10 brands of artificial tears, with some patients using multiple brands, but EzriCare artificial tears was the most common brand. The agency said there is.
The CDC said it found drug-resistant strains in opened bottles of EzriCare eye drops from patients with and without eye infections. The agency tests unopened bottles to determine if contamination occurred during the manufacturing process.
Between May and January 2022, the strain was discovered in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin, according to the CDC. It was linked to four medical facility clusters, officials said.
The CDC says that anyone who has used EzriCare artificial tears and has symptoms of an eye infection should seek immediate medical attention. Symptoms include yellow, green, or clear discharge from the eyes, redness of the eyes or eyelids, sensitivity to light, and eye pain or discomfort.
Dr. Thomas L. Steinman, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, said people shouldn’t be “overly concerned” about using other types of eye drops.
“We use them in tears, we use them in antibiotics, we use them to treat glaucoma,” Dr. Steinemann said. “We use the eye dropper every day. I don’t think for the majority of eye dropper users there is anything to worry about.”
Dr. Steinemann, an ophthalmologist at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, said the CDC reports that EzriCare artificial tears are preservative-free, meaning that if contaminated, there is nothing to prevent bacterial growth. said.
Preservatives can exacerbate eye irritation, so doctors often recommend preservative-free artificial tears to patients if they’re using them more than four times a day. I had heard of preservative-free eye drops available in single-use vials that could not be used again later.
“One thing that struck me after reading the CDC report is that, at least in EzriCare, these products are dispensed into what they call multi-dose bottles. It means that we are doing it,” said Dr. “But the bottles don’t contain any preservatives, which I think could contribute to contamination and bacterial overgrowth in the bottle.”
According to Dr. Steinemann, when people use any type of eye drops, they should wash their hands, close the bottle after use, and avoid touching the tip. “Don’t touch the bottle with your eyes, face or nose,” he said.
EzriCare, a pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey, said: in a statement on Wednesday The company did not manufacture eye drops and was only involved in designing product labels and selling them to customers.
EzriCare said it was first informed of the CDC’s investigation on January 20 and that it “immediately took steps to stop any further distribution or sale of EzriCare artificial tears.” The company also said it is trying to reach out to customers and tell them to stop using eye drops.
Public health officials are taking action worldwide to stem the spread of drug-resistant infections that occur when bacteria and fungi evolve to outwit the antibiotics and antifungal drugs developed to destroy them. They warn that more must be done.The more antibiotics and antifungals people and livestock are given, the more likely they are to develop resistant strains, health officials say. .
about 30,000 in the US A CDC analysis found that 15% more people died from drug-resistant infections in 2020 than in 2019. This increase was largely due to the coronavirus, which was a mystery to medical experts in the early days of the pandemic. Many people turned to antibiotics in an attempt to treat the disease before vaccines and other treatments were available.
Each year, more than 700,000 people die from drug-resistant infections worldwide.united nations warned in 2019 Without concerted action, these infectious diseases could kill 10 million people each year by 2050 and trigger a global economic crisis.
