CDC Warns of Dangerous Eye Infection from Tainted Eye Drops

The use of EzriCare had been linked to drug-resistant bacterial infections that might cause vision loss and even death, warned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February 2023. The reason behind this contamination is tainted bottles. This week in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, an interdisciplinary group of researchers and physicians described a case from November 2022. The patient, a 72-year-old female, was diagnosed with a corneal ulcer, caused by infection by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Outbreak and Patient Notifications

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Eventually, infectious disease physicians and microbiologists identified her contaminated eye drops as the source of the infection. P. aeruginosa is a pathogenic, gram-negative bacterium that’s resistant to treatment with most antibiotics.

It can cause swimmer’s ear — a painful infection of the outer ear canal — and more serious conditions, especially in people with compromised immune systems. But the case in Cleveland was unusual.

The patient was initially reported to an outpatient eye clinic with blurry vision. From there, she was sent to the emergency department at the hospital, where she was evaluated by ophthalmologists.

They cultured the infection, prescribed a combination of strong antibiotic eye drops, and sent her home. But the next day, the eye was worse—and she visited a cornea specialist. The patient had noticed a yellow discharge on her pillow, and she had not been swimming. At that point, she was referred to microbiologists and infectious disease experts at the hospital (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
A Dangerous Eye Infection From Tainted Eye Drops, Months Before the CDC’s Warning

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A sample from the patient was sent to the lab at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Then, scientists identified a P. aeruginosa isolate that matched the genetic material found in the EzriCare artificial tear eye drops she had been using. Then researchers connected the eye infection—and the ulcer it had caused—to the contaminated drops.

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Treatment was tricky because the isolate was resistant to any antibiotics that could be administered. She was treated instead by a strong antibiotic, cefiderocol, that has some activity against the gram-negative bacterium, as well as two other topical antibiotics. The injury to her eye improved, but it’s unclear whether the patient will ever regain total vision.

Since issuing the warning in February, the CDC has identified infectious cases due to P. aeruginosa as early as spring 2022. Although the contaminated product has been pulled from stores and can no longer be purchased, it may still pose a risk.

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References:

1. Outbreak of Extensively Drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Associated with Artificial Tears - (https://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/crpa-artificial-tears.html)
2. A Dangerous Eye Infection From Tainted Eye Drops, Months Before the CDC’s Warning - (https://asm.org/Press-Releases/2023/May/A-dangerous-eye-infection-from-tainted-eye-drops,)

Source-Eurekalert