Death Toll Linked to Contaminated Eye Drops Rising as More Report Vision Loss

By Mary Kekatos

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on March 21 that the number of deaths related to an outbreak tied to contaminated eye drops has increased from one to three. Additionally, at least eight people have gone blind, and four have had their eyeballs surgically removed. The outbreak involves more than 10 brands of artificial tears, which have been recalled, with most cases reportedly associated with EzriCare and Delsam Pharma eye drops manufactured by India-based Global Pharma Healthcare. The CDC said the eye drops were contaminated with an antibiotic-resistant strain of the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa that had never before been reported in the United States. P. aeruginosa infections have been reported in 68 people across 16 states as of March 14, with 37 of those cases linked to four health care clusters.

Read more on ABC News.