CDC warns not to use eye drop brand as it investigates death, infections across 11 states - The Hill

(NEXSTAR) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is asking radical to halt utilizing a marque of artificial tears that could beryllium down dozens of infections crossed the U.S.

The CDC says laboratory and epidemiological grounds person tied the usage of EzriCare Artificial Tears to a multi-state clump of Pseudomonas aeruginosa patients, but the probe is ongoing and determination is not yet a definite link.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria unrecorded successful the environment, are highly resistant to antibiotics and tin origin infections successful the blood, lungs (pneumonia) and different assemblage parts. Often these cases hap after surgery.

The CDC is investigating astatine slightest 50 cases successful 11 states that person led to hospitalization, imperishable imaginativeness nonaccomplishment and adjacent 1 death. The cases are located successful California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Texas, Utah and Washington.

While moving to find the origin of the illnesses, CDC investigators recovered that the bulk of radical utilized artificial tears, with EzriCare being the astir fashionable brand. Investigators identified the drug-resistant bacteria successful unfastened bottles of the drops, the CDC said. Testing of sealed bottles is ongoing.

“CDC recommends that clinicians and patients instantly discontinue the usage of EzriCare Artificial Tears until the epidemiological probe and laboratory analyses are complete,” according to a Jan. 20 news release.

EzriCare said successful a connection Wednesday that they were not alert of immoderate investigating that decidedly linked the oculus drops to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but said they stopped selling the product.

“To the top grade possible, we person been contacting customers to counsel them against continued usage of the product, the institution said in a statement connected its website. “We besides instantly reached retired to some CDC and FDA and indicated our willingness to cooperate with immoderate requests they whitethorn person of us.”

A 2019 study recovered that 2,700 radical successful the U.S. died from Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections and different 32,600 were hospitalized.