CDC: EzriCare Artificial Tears Eye Drops Linked to Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infections, Deaths, and Blindness Reported
According to FoxNews.com, and NBCNews.com, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has reported that certain lots of EzriCare Artificial Tears eye drops have harmed at least 50 people. The CDC states that some lots of EzriCare Artificial Tears eye drops are linked with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that is resistant to most antibiotics. The CDC reported that at least one person has died, and many other people have suffered permanent vision loss after contracting the bacterial infection connected to EzriCare Artificial Tears eye drops. The patient who passed away died after the bacterium entered their bloodstream. Other people report suffering urinary tract infections and respiratory infections after using the EzriCare Artificial Tears eye drops.
If EzriCare Artificial Tears artificial eye drops have harmed you or a loved one, contact our national product liability law firm for your free consultation. For your free consultation, please use our live chat or call us at 1-800-YOUR-LAWYER (1-800-968-7529).
Those injured were using preservative-free EzriCare Artificial Tears before becoming ill, according to a CDC statement on January 20, 2023. At the time of this report, EzriCare Artificial Tears have not been recalled. The affected EzriCare Artificial Tears are being sold nationwide on Amazon.com, in chain pharmacies, and at retail stores such as Walmart.
Although the bacterial infections are not definitively traced to the EzriCare Artificial Tears eyedrops, the CDC is urging the public to “immediately discontinue the use of EzriCare Artificial Tears until the epidemiological investigation and laboratory analyses are complete.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified at least 50 injury victims from eleven different states who have contracted Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These Pseudomonas Aeruginosa bacteria cases have been reported in Florida, Washington, California, Connecticut, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, and Utah. The connection to EzriCare Artificial Tears was made when most of the victims stated that they had used EzriCare Artificial Tears prior to becoming ill.
It is believed that people who used the EzriCare Artificial Tears eye drops and had underlying eye conditions, like cataracts or glaucoma, made them more susceptible to the bacterium. Eye infection symptoms include eye pain, swelling, discharge, blurry vision, redness, light sensitivity, and the feeling of an object in the eye. Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria are found in soil, water, and on the hands of people. However, these infections often occur in hospital settings and in people who have weakened immune systems.
According to Dr. Jill Weatherhead, an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, it is concerning that this bacterium is resistant to most antibiotics, and standard treatments cannot treat this infection.
The eye drops being investigated are preservative-free. This means the product does not contain chemicals that prevent microbiological growth. So if the eye drops were contaminated during manufacturing, the bacteria could grow inside the container. The CDC discovered the bacteria in bottles of the EzriCare Artificial Tears eye drops and is currently testing some bottles to determine if the bacteria in the bottles match the strain found in the ill patients.
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