Alert: EzriCare and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears Linked to Deadly Eye Infections

Officials have reported that a fourth individual has succumbed to an infection resulting from tainted eye drops, marking the latest occurrence in a widespread outbreak that has led to at least 14 instances of vision impairment and four cases where surgical removal of the affected eye was necessary.

The implicated products, namely EzriCare and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears, were manufactured at a facility located in southern India. Clinical samples indicate that the eye drops might have been contaminated with a drug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, which can cause severe inflammation of the cornea and other related symptoms. In certain instances, the infection may spread to the lungs and bloodstream. In response, Global Pharma, the parent company based in India that oversees both EzriCare and Delsam, issued a recall of the products in February. As of the latest update, a total of 81 cases across 18 states have been identified. The only antibiotic that has worked was a newer antibiotic called cefiderocol, administered by IV.

For further details on how investigators determined the cause of these fatalities, please refer to the linked article.