The manufacturer of eye drops sold under the name EzriCare withdrew them on Thursday due to a potential Pseudomonas aeruginosa contamination, a form of bacteria that is generally resistant to medications, reported NBCNews.
At least 55 bacterial infections in 12 states of the US have been linked to the EzriCare To install artificial tears. So far, eyesight loss has affected five of those individuals.
When the bacterium got into the bloodstream, a person passed away.
On Thursday, the Indian company Global Pharma Healthcare announced the voluntary recall of its Artificial Tears Lubricant Eye Drops. The recall follows a warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for people to stop using the eye drops immediately.
“The product was distributed nationwide in the USA over the internet,” Global Pharma Healthcare wrote in its announcement of the recall.
Delsam Pharma and EzriCare distribute the drops. In a statement issued on Wednesday, EzriCare claimed that it “had no role in the formulation, packaging delivery method, or actual production of this medicine.” According to the business, all it did was create the product’s label and sell it.
The CDC announced on Wednesday that it is collaborating with state and local health officials, the Food and Drug Administration, and other agencies to look into the issue. Most of the patients said they used these eye drops before getting sick.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cases have been documented in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Investigators from the CDC discovered the bacterium in the eye drop bottles and are currently conducting tests to see if it is the same strain as that discovered in patients. It is unknown if the contamination happened when the bottles were being manufactured or when customers opened them.
People who are generally healthy can have Pseudomonas aeruginosa germs on their hands as well.
