In the United States, eye drops are singled out following the death of a patient and the contamination of 68 others, reports the BBC. At least that’s what US health authorities think, as eight people lost their sight and four had to have their eyes surgically removed.
A patient files a complaint
Two brands of eye drops are suspected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): EzriCare and Delsam Pharma. These artificial drops, which are not sold in France, were taken off the shelves last February by their parent company, Global Pharma. A product recall has been issued by the company, which is currently being sued by a patient who lost an eye. “There are probably a lot of other people who have had infections who don’t know regarding it,” the plaintiff’s attorney said.
According to specialists, these two eye drops made in India might have been contaminated during their manufacture. Open bottles taken from affected patients contained a rare strain of the bacterium “Pseudomonas aeruginosa” never before seen in the United States. Examinations are in progress on the closed bottles, even though most of the contaminated victims claim to have used one of these eye drops.
Other eye drops removed from the shelves
While assuring that the company was ready to “cooperate” with the authorities, the EzriCare spokesperson recalled that no direct link had been established with certainty between the brand’s products and these contaminations. Other products might indeed be involved: last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), responsible for authorizing the marketing of drugs, issued several recalls of eye drops developed by the Pharmedica and Apotex brands, which came from even to have them removed from the shelves.
Anyone who has used these products and has symptoms should seek medical attention as soon as possible, the CDC said. According to market research by Statista, approximately 117 million Americans used eye drops and eye washes in 2020.
