U.S.A. — NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Wednesday that one person had died and others had gone blind after using eye drops contaminated with a rare strain of bacteria that had become resistant to most antibiotics.
At least 55 patients in 12 states, including New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, have been affected by the outbreak so far.
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The bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa is typically found in soil and freshwater. However, the CDC discovered the bacteria in 10 different brands of eye drops, despite the fact that most cases of infection from the bacteria occur when people wear their contact lenses for too long.
According to the CDC, the strain is still manageable with cefiderocol but is resistant to a dozen other antibiotics.
EzriCare Artificial Tears were the most frequently mentioned brand of eye drops that had been linked to infection.
It is estimated that 55 people in New York, New Jersey, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin were affected by the outbreak between May 2022 and January 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Patients experienced permanent vision loss and one death due to cornea infections.
Although EzriCare is contacting customers to warn them against using the product, neither the company nor the FDA has recalled the eye drops.