'Drug-Resistant' Bacteria Leads To Death, Blindness In New York

Health officials are warning about an outbreak that's "never been reported in the United States" that can lead to death, blindness, or loss of eyeballs.

More gruesome information has been released regarding an eye drop recall in New York State.

Eye Drops Sold In New York May Lead To Death, Blindness, Sickness

Canva

In February, Hudson Valley Post reported Global Pharma Healthcare voluntarily recalled all lots within the expiry of their Artificial Tears Lubricant Eye Drops.

In an update, the CDC now reports the contaminated recalled eye drops have caused three deaths, blindness in eight people and four others had to have surgery to have an eyeball removed.

Health officials have identified nearly 70 patients across 16 states, including New York State.

"Most patients reported using artificial tears. Patients reported over 10 different brands of artificial tears and some patients used multiple brands," the CDC states.

Vital Infomation About Recalled Eye Drops In New York State

Below is more information about the recalled eye drops and photos of the boxes.

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Outbreak Due To "Extensively Drug-Resistant" Bacteria

The CDC is blaming the multistate outbreak on "an extensively drug-resistant strain" of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

"The outbreak strain, carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa with Verona integron-mediated metallo-β-lactamase and Guiana extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (VIM-GES-CRPA), had never been reported in the United States prior to this outbreak. The outbreak is associated with multiple types of infections, including eye infections. The investigation to date has identified artificial tears as a common exposure for many patients," the CDC states.

CDC

‘Wake-up Call:’ Deadly Weapons Easily Made Inside New York Homes

The CDC recommends all immediately stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears pending additional information and guidance from CDC and FDA.

LOOK: The 10 largest product recalls of the last decade

Estey & Bomberger, LLP compiled a list of the top 10 product recalls since 2007, ranked based on the number of product units recalled in the U.S.

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