Four people forced to have eyeballs removed after using contaminated eye drops
Four people have been left blinded and had their eyeballs removed after using contaminated eye drops.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed one person has died and eight people have lost their vision after being diagnosed with a rare strain of Pseudomonas aeruginos in the US.
The strain, which had never been detected in the US, has been identified in 68 patients across 16 states.
The majority of cases were caused by contaminated eyedrops or artificial tears - with ten brands initially connected to the outbreak.
According to the CDC two of the brands, which were made in India and imported into the US, were scrapped from the shelves following the outbreak.
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In January, the organisation urged the public to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma's Artificial Tears.
The artificial tears have been recalled following the outbreakA month later, Global Pharma, which owns the brands, recalled the products after a formal recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Opened bottles from patients were tested and shown to have contained the bacteria, which is resistant to antibiotics.
Meanwhile, unopened bottles are currently being tested to try and determine whether the bacteria featured during the manufacturing process or later on.
A representative for EzriCare said the testing has not completely linked the outbreak to their products but has customers to stop using the product.
The EzriCare spokesperson said: "To the greatest extent possible, we have been contacting customers to advise them against continued use of the product.
"We also immediately reached out to both CDC and FDA and indicated our willingness to cooperate with any requests they have of us."
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said anyone who has used the recalled eyedrops or artificial tears should contact a doctor - if they are experiencing symptoms.
Some of the symptoms include yellow, green, or clear discharge from the eye, discomfort or pain, redness, blurry vision and increase sensitivity to light.
Clara Oliva, from Florida, is suing the makers of EzriCare Artificial Tears after she was left legally blind after using the products.
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Her lawyer Natasha Cortes said: "My client is horribly injured and now legally blind. I am currently investigating others similarly injured by this recalled product.
"These companies must be held accountable for the devastating consequences their product has caused Ms. Oliva and other consumers.”
According to Statista, a market research firm, eyedrops and eyewash products are used by nearly 17 million Americans.
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