Eyedrop recall: Death toll rises, 8 people blinded, 4 have eyeballs removed due to bacteria

Eyedrop recall: Death toll rises, 8 people blinded, 4 have eyeballs removed due to bacteria

The death toll from a drug-resistant bacteria linked to a recent eye drop recall has risen, the Centers for Disease Control announced Tuesday.

Sixty-eight patients in 16 states have been diagnosed with a rare stain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Thirty-seven of the patients were linked to four healthcare facilities. Three people have died – an increase of two from the February report – and there have been 8 reports of vision loss and 4 reports of patients having their eyeballs surgically removed.

Cases have been reported in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. No cases have been reported in Alabama.

The reports come after the recall of three eye products, all imported from Indian make Global Pharma Healthcare Private Ltd. –  EzriCare Artificial Tears, Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Eye Ointment.

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Most of the patients who were infected with the bacteria reported using artificial tears with EzriCare, a preservative-free, over-the-counter product packaged in multidose bottles, was the brand most commonly reported and was the product identified across the four healthcare facility clusters.

People are advised to stop using EzriCare or Delsam’s Artificial Tears if they have them and to see medical attention if they have symptoms of an eye infection.

Symptoms include:

  • Yellow, green, or clear discharge from the eye
  • Eye pain or discomfort
  • Redness of the eye or eyelid
  • Feeling of something in your eye (foreign body sensation)
  • Increased sensitivity to light
  • Blurry vision