Fourth death linked to recalled eye drops, CDC says

A fourth person has died of a bacterial infection linked to contaminated eye drops, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

The CDC recalled three products in Februaryincluding EzriCare Artificial Tears, a preservative-free, over-the-counter product that comes in multi-dose bottles, after dozens of people reported aggressive eye infections, according to The Associated Press. The most recent report from the CDC brings the number of infections to 81 cases in at least 18 states and four deaths as of May 15.

In addition, 14 users lost their sight and four people needed to have one eye surgically removed.

“These were catastrophic and life-altering infections,” Maroya Spalding Walters, who leads the CDC’s outbreak response investigations, said in an interview, NBC reported.

All of the infections were caused by a highly antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, that had not been reported in the US prior to this outbreak, according to the CDC.

Infected patients reported using more than 10 types of eye drops, but health authorities indicated that EzriCare artificial tears were the most commonly used.

The CDC said EzriCare products were the only common artificial tear products identified as harmful. Along with two other products, Delsam Pharma Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma Artificial Ointment, EzriCare Artificial Tears was manufactured in India by Global Pharma Healthcare.

To slow the spread of the outbreak, the manufacturer withdrew all three brands.

Since February, the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC have released semi-regular reports warning consumers and health professionals not to purchase the recalled products and to stop using them immediately. No other products have been linked to the outbreak, the CDC reported.

Symptoms include yellow, green, or clear discharge from the eye, eye pain and discomfort, redness, a feeling of something in the eye, increased sensitivity to light, and blurred vision.

The bacteria can also cause infections in the blood, lungs and other parts of the body, according to the CDC.

Cases have been discovered in 18 states: Connecticut, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. .

Although authorities said the bacteria is extremely resistant to standard antibiotics, one drug, cefiderocol, has worked in treating some infections, according to pbs.