Fourth Death Attributed to Recalled Artificial Tears

May 24, 2023 by Dan McCue
Fourth Death Attributed to Recalled Artificial Tears

ATLANTA — A fourth death has been linked to a recalled brand of artificial tears made by EzriCare and Delsam Pharma, as the number of infections with a highly drug-resistant bacteria grew to 81 across 18 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

The CDC has been collaborating with the Food and Drug Administration and state and local health departments since May 2022 to investigate a multistate outbreak of an extremely drug-resistant strain of the bacteria 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, some of which have resulted in the surgical removal of the eyeball. 

The investigation ultimately identified EzriCare artificial tears as a common exposure for many patients and the manufacturer, Global Pharma of Chennai, India, immediately recalled the products associated with the outbreak.

Additional cases were confirmed after the recall date, but investigators said this was due to the time it takes for testing to confirm the outbreak strain and because of the retrospective reporting of infections. 

Of the seven patients who had specimens collected after the recall, most either resided in long-term care facilities with other known cases or reported use of a recalled brand of artificial tears.

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

EzriCare Artificial Tears, a preservative-free, over-the-counter product packaged in multidose bottles, was the brand most commonly reported. This was the only common artificial tears product identified across the four health care facility clusters. 

Laboratory testing by the CDC identified the presence of VIM-GES-CRPA in opened EzriCare bottles from multiple lots; these bottles were collected from patients with and without eye infections and from two states. 

According to the CDC, VIM-GES-CRPA recovered from opened products match the outbreak strain. 

Testing of unopened bottles of EzriCare Artificial Tears by the FDA also identified bacterial contamination.

To date, Global Pharma has voluntarily recalled three products associated with the outbreak: EzriCare Artificial Tears, Delsam Pharma Artificial Tears, and Delsam Pharma Artificial Ointment. 

The CDC and FDA recommend clinicians and patients stop using and discard EzriCare Artificial Tears and two additional products made by the same manufacturer, Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears, and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Ointment.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue

A+
a-
  • artificial tears
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • EzriCare
  • Food and Drug Administration
  • Global Pharma
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Health

    April 25, 2025
    by Dan McCue
    Kennedy Unveils Plan to Expand Access to Sickle Cell Treatment

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. used a morning keynote address before a group of state lawmakers... Read More

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. used a morning keynote address before a group of state lawmakers in Charleston, South Carolina, to unveil a new initiative intended to expand access to the latest treatments for sickle cell disease. Kennedy offered few details in... Read More

    Whooping Cough Cases Rising Again in the US

    Whooping cough cases are rising, and doctors are bracing for yet another tough year. There have been 8,485 cases reported in... Read More

    Whooping cough cases are rising, and doctors are bracing for yet another tough year. There have been 8,485 cases reported in 2025, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s twice as many cases as this time last year, based on the... Read More

    Bluebells and Other Spring Flowers Can Be Nature's Antidote to Stressful Times

    HALLE, Belgium (AP) — Gilles Gui was looking for the magical purple bluebells that raise their heads each spring under... Read More

    HALLE, Belgium (AP) — Gilles Gui was looking for the magical purple bluebells that raise their heads each spring under the budding beech leaves of the Hallerbos forest, an annual explosion of color that draws crowds from around the world. And in these times full of stress... Read More

    EPA Chief Demands That Mexico Stop Tijuana Sewage From Flowing Into California

    SAN DIEGO (AP) — The head of the Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday that Mexico must stop the flow of billions of... Read More

    SAN DIEGO (AP) — The head of the Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday that Mexico must stop the flow of billions of gallons of sewage and toxic chemicals from Tijuana that has polluted the Pacific Ocean off neighboring Southern California, closing beaches and sickening Navy SEALs who train... Read More

    April 22, 2025
    by Dan McCue
    FDA to Phase Out Petroleum-Based Dyes in Foods

    WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it plans to end the use of petroleum-based synthetic food... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it plans to end the use of petroleum-based synthetic food dyes in America’s food supply within the next two years in a bid to combat a myriad of health concerns, especially among children. The policy was... Read More

    Advanced Cancers Returned to Prepandemic Levels, According to Report

    Many Americans were forced to postpone cancer screenings — colonoscopies, mammograms and lung scans — for several months in 2020 as COVID-19... Read More

    Many Americans were forced to postpone cancer screenings — colonoscopies, mammograms and lung scans — for several months in 2020 as COVID-19 overwhelmed doctors and hospitals. But that delay in screening isn't making a huge impact on cancer statistics, at least none that can be seen yet by... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top