So far, 68 people in the United States have been infected with a rare strain of bacteria that has killed three people and blinded at least five others. The hypothesis advanced by the health authorities: artificial tears for the eyes which might be contaminated by a strain never before reported in the United States of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Produced in India, EzriCare artificial tears and Delsam Pharma eye ointment have been pulled from shelves in the United States. They would not have been distributed in Canada.
On January 20, 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced an investigation into the contamination of eye drops by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. “Recent epidemiology and laboratory evidence link the use of EzriCare artificial tears,” the statement read.
The CDC then recommended that doctors and patients stop prescribing or using them immediately.
On February 24, Global Pharma announced that it was voluntarily recalling a batch of eye ointment sold under the Delsam Pharma brand “due to possible microbial contamination” and deficient packaging, the statement said.
Since the beginning of March, two other companies, Apotex and Pharmadica, have in turn carried out voluntary recalls of lots of their own eye products – respectively Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution and Purely Soothing. Pharmadica justified it by the fact that certain batches might not be sterile; Apotex reported cracks in some cylinders.
On March 21, citing EzriCare and Delsam Pharma products, the CDC announced that 68 people from 16 states were infected, three of whom died and four had to have their eyeballs removed.
Multi-resistant strain
The Dr Donald Vinh, microbiologist-infectiologist at the McGill University Health Center, explains that the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is present in all countries. What worries here, “is that the strain in question is multi-resistant to antibiotics”.
Multi-resistant strains to antibiotics “appear regularly in infectiology, but we are always worried regarding it”, added the Dr Vinh.
The tragedy in the United States is a reminder of how important it is to be cautious when performing treatments that seem trivial, both for the eyes (poorly protected by the immune system, explains Dr.r Vinh) than when you rinse your sinuses for example (which should not be done with tap water).
In a comment published this week in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), Drs. Christina R. Prescott and Kathryn A. Colby note that of all the medications they prescribe or all the care they provide, artificial tears “are generally considered benign”.
Their effectiveness “is often a source of debate, but until recently, few ophthalmologists had concerns regarding their safety”.
“Manufacturers of artificial tears aren’t required to conduct clinical trials to market their products if they follow the Food and Drug Administration’s monograph guidelines on over-the-counter ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, which may mean that ‘there is less monitoring of their quality,’ they write.
They conclude: “The current situation is a tangible reminder that any type of eye drop can have adverse effects. »
