Though many patients said they’d used multiple brands of eyedrops, EzriCare Artificial Tears was found to be a common brand among those infected. 'These were catastrophic and life-altering infections,' said a member of CDC's antimicrobial resistance team.
The number of people with highly drug-resistant bacterial infections linked to contaminated eyedrops has reached 81, theThe 81 cases, up from 68 identified in March, include 14 people who have been blinded and four others who had to have their eyeballs surgically removed.
Though most infections have been limited to the eyes, the bacteria can be fatal when it enters the bloodstream. As of Monday, the CDC said, four people have died. "These were catastrophic and life-altering infections," Maroya Spalding Walters, who leads the CDC's antimicrobial resistance team, said in an interview.
Though many patients said they’d used multiple brands of eyedrops, EzriCare Artificial Tears was found to be a common brand among those infected. Opened bottles of the EzriCare eyedrops were also found to harbor the same bacteria found in samples taken from patients. The EzriCare products were manufactured by Global Pharma Healthcare in India and sold mostly online. The CDC and FDA said people should stop using them, as well as two other eye products made by the same manufacturer: Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Eye Ointment.
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