CDC warns that a brand of eyedrops may be linked to drug-resistant bacterial infections

One person has died and at least three other people have permanent vision loss because of a bacterial infection possibly linked to a brand of over-the-counter eyedrops, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which urged consumers Wednesday to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears while it investigates the outbreak. (Pixabay.com)

One person has died and at least three other people have permanent vision loss because of a bacterial infection possibly linked to a brand of over-the-counter eyedrops, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which urged consumers Wednesday to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears while it investigates the outbreak.

A majority of those affected reported using preservative-free EzriCare Artificial Tears before they became ill, said Maroya Spalding Walters, head of the CDC’s antimicrobial resistance team.

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So far, the CDC has identified at least 55 people in 12 states with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a type of bacterium resistant to most antibiotics. Cases have been reported in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.

Read more on NBC News here.


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