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Freeman [soylentnews.org] writes:

https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/02/extremely-drug-resistant-germ-found-in-eye-drops-infects-55-in-12-states-1-dead/ [arstechnica.com]

Update 2/3/2023 9:05am: This story has been updated to include the recall information.

An extensively drug-resistant bacterial strain is spreading in the US for the first time and causing an alarming outbreak linked to artificial tears eye drops, according to an alert [cdc.gov] released Wednesday evening from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far, the germ has caused various infections in 55 people in 12 states, killing one and leaving others hospitalized and with permanent vision loss.

Infected patients reported using more than 10 brands of artificial tears collectively, with some patients using multiple brands. But the most common brand used among the patients was EzriCare Artificial Tears, a preservative-free product sold by Walmart, Amazon, and other retailers.

On Thursday, after this story originally published, the Food and Drug Administration posted notice of a recall of EzriCare Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma's Artificial Tears [fda.gov]. The FDA the CDC recommends clinicians and patients stop buying and using the two products. In a separate notice, the FDA further added that the products' manufacturer, Global Pharma Healthcare Private Limited, was in violation of good manufacturing practices [fda.gov], including lack of appropriate microbial testing, formulating its product without an adequate preservative, and lack of proper controls concerning tamper-evident packaging.

Original Submission