Blindness & Death Possibly Connected to Eye Drops in Illinois
There is a terrible bacterial outbreak that has been associated with blindness and death in several cases. There is a possible connection to eye drops that have been available in Illinois and are now under a national recall alert.
The CDC shared news of a highly drug-resistant bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It is believed there is a possible connection with EzriCare or Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears products which are available in Illinois.
The FDA says these eye drops have a possible contamination that has led to cases of "55 reports of adverse events including eye infections, permanent loss of vision, and a death with a bloodstream infection".
Both federal agencies are now advising that everyone stop using these artificial tears products immediately. The manufacturer has issued a voluntary national recall as part of this alert.
What do you do if you find you have these eye drop products?
The CDC has said to watch for the following symptoms:
- Yellow, green, or clear discharge from the eye
- Eye pain or discomfort
- Redness of the eye or eyelid
- Feeling of something in your eye (foreign body sensation)
- Increased sensitivity to light
- Blurry vision
The manufacturer has provided this contact information if you have any questions:
Aru Pharma/Ezricare, LLC by phone: 1-516-715-5181 from Monday to Friday, 11am to 4pm EST; or DELSAM Pharma LLC by phone: 1-866-826-1306
For more details and updates on this health alert, make sure to check the CDC alert and recall website as further information becomes available. The FDA site also has more information on the manufacturer recall.