A brand of over-the-counter eye drops could be linked a bacterial infection that left one person dead, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a notice urging consumers to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears while an investigation is underway.
The CDC said (pdf) in a document circulated by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) that it has identified at least 50 people in 11 states with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a type of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Cases in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Washington have been reported so far, the agency said.
“These specimens were collected in both outpatient and inpatient healthcare settings,” the letter stated. “Patient outcomes include permanent vision loss resulting from ocular infection, hospitalization, and death of one patient with bloodstream infection.”…