Updated May 23, 2023, with additional case information
EzriCare and Delsam Pharma artificial tears are the sources of an 18-state VIM-GES-CRPA bacteria outbreak that includes at least 81 patients, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fourteen patients have suffered permanent vision loss, four people have had an eyeball surgically removed and four people have died.
Since the last update on March 21, 2023, 13 additional cases have been reported. Six of those patients used the product before it was recalled. Most of the seven patients who used the product after the recall are residents of long-term care facilities “with other known cases or reported use of a recalled brand of artificial tears,” according to the CDC.
Verona Integron‐mediated Metallo‐β‐lactamase (VIM)‐ and Guiana‐Extended Spectrum‐β‐Lactamase (GES)‐producing carbapenem‐resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (VIM‐GES‐CRPA) is an antibiotic-resistant bacteria that is often spread in healthcare settings. Thirty-seven of the 68 illnesses in this outbreak occurred in four facility-related clusters.
Did you develop an infection from eye drops?
Between May 2022, and April 2023, the CDC and state and local health departments collected specimens from patients who received treatment at inpatient and outpatient healthcare settings. Eighty-one cases in the following 18 states have been reported: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) test showed the isolates are closely related to each other and resistant to multiple antibiotics. The genetic sequence type that identifies this outbreak strain has not previously been seen in the U.S.
Isolates that are closely related indicate that the patients shared a common exposure. Most of the patients in this outbreak reported the use of artificial tears before the onset of infection. The brand most commonly mentioned was EzriCare Artificial Tears.
In tests performed on opened bottles of EzriCare Artificial Tears, CDC officials found the presence of VIM‐CRPA. These isolates are undergoing further testing to see if they closely resemble the outbreak strain. They are also conducting tests on unopened bottles of the product. Until all testing is complete, the CDC recommends that clinicians and patients immediately discontinue the use of EzriCare Artificial Tears.
Recall
On February 2, 2023, Global Pharma Healthcare issued a recall for EzriCare Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma Artificial Tears due to possible contamination. The recall includes all products within expiry. Consumers who have purchased these products should not use them.
On February 24, 2023, the company expanded the recall to include Delsam Pharma artificial eye ointment.
Product Liability Lawsuit
Our product liability lawyers have been successfully representing people injured or killed by unsafe products for the past 40 years. We hold the makers of unsafe products responsible and help victims and their families obtain full and fair compensation. In one of our lawsuits, we recovered $10 million for babies who contracted a mysterious illness after ingesting a medical product that was later recalled.
Listed in U.S. News and World Report’s Best Law Firms in America, our law firm has a reputation for success in complex lawsuits. Our product liability lawyers have been interviewed by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Lawyers USA, and other publications. We have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of people hurt or killed by defective items. If you would like to talk to a lawyer about your legal rights, please call 1-888-377-8900, text 612-261-0856, or fill out the form below.