U.S. health officials are advising people to stop using over-the-counter eye drops that have been linked to an outbreak of drug-resistant infections.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday
night sent a health alert to physicians, saying the outbreak includes at least
55 people in 12 states. One died.
Disease investigators have linked the infections, including
some found in blood, urine and lungs, to EzriCare Artificial Tears. Many of the
patients said they had used the product, which is a lubricant used to treat
irritation and dryness.
The infections were all caused by a bacteria called
Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Investigators detected that kind of bacteria in open
EzriCare bottles, but further testing was underway to see if the strains
matched.
EzriCare said it is not aware of any evidence definitively
linking the outbreak to the product, but that it has stopped distributing the
eye drops. It also has a notice on its website urging consumers to stop using
the drops.
“To the greatest extent possible, we have been contacting
customers to advise them against continued use of the product. We also
immediately reached out to both CDC and FDA and indicated our willingness to
cooperate with any requests they may have of us,” the company said.
Two weeks ago, the CDC warned medical professional societies
about the possible connection between the drops and the infections. The
Wednesday alert was a broader, more public warning.
Infections were diagnosed in patients in California,
Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada,
Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. One patient — in Washington — died with
a blood infection. At least five others suffered permanent vision loss.
The outbreak is considered particularly worrisome because
the bacteria driving it are resistant to standard antibiotics.
Investigators found the bacteria were not susceptible to any
antibiotics routinely tested at public health laboratories. However, a newer
antibiotic named cefiderocol did seem to work.
How could eye drops cause infections in the blood or lungs?
The eye connects to the nasal cavity through the tear ducts. Bacteria can move
from the nasal cavity into the lungs. Also, bacteria in these parts of the body
can seed infections at other sites such as in the blood or wounds, CDC
officials said.
The product is manufactured in India by Global Pharma
Healthcare Pvt Ltd., EzriCare said.
0 comments:
Post a Comment