EzriCare Artificial Tears eye drops might be responsible for dozens of infections and at least one death across 11 states, CDC investigates
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants doctors and patients to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears eye drops.
The CDC is looking into at least 50 infections that have caused permanent vision loss, hospital stays, and even one death in 11 states.
The agency says that most of the people with these said they used artificial tears, and the most common brand was EzriCare. Since the eye drops don’t have any preservatives, they don’t have anything to stop bacteria from growing.
The CDC says that when open EzriCare bottles were tested, Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria were found that were resistant to several antibiotics. The bacterium can cause a wide range of infections and is most often spread in hospitals and other medical facilities.
People shouldn’t use EzriCare Artificial Tears, says the CDC, while their investigation is going on.
In a statement, EzriCare says that it hasn’t heard of any complaints or bad reactions to its product. It hasn’t been asked to recall the eye drops, but out of an abundance of caution, it suggests that people don’t use them while the investigation is going on.
