The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) advisory regarding a drug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (VIM-GES-CRPA) said to be found in a known brand of artificial tears.

This bacteria strain has been identified in 55 patients from 12 states and is linked to four healthcare facility clusters, with the most recent specimen collected in January. The said bacteria is also linked to a first case of death.

Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria Outbreak

Several antibiotics do not even work against VIM-GES-CRPA, and cefiderocol is the only one that has worked on a small group of three isolates. Testing in the CDC lab has shown that the outbreak's source is the EzriCare Artificial Tears product. The VIM-GES-CRPA strain was found in opened bottles from two states that were sent to the lab.

As a result of this discovery, the CDC is advising patients and healthcare providers to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears immediately. This is a precautionary measure while the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conduct additional investigations and provide additional guidance.

P. aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium that naturally exists in soil and freshwater, according to IFLScience. Patients with compromised immune systems, such as those with cystic fibrosis, may be at risk from the pathogen, which rarely causes disease in otherwise healthy people.

The same report informs us that the P. aeruginosa strain connected to the eye drops is rare and carries a collection of genetic mutations never before observed in the US. There aren't many options left when trying to treat an infection because the culprit is known to be resistant to several different classes of antibiotics.

Latest Findings

The majority of patients, including those with eye infections, used artificial tears before contracting VIM-GES-CRPA infection or colonization, as stated by the CDC. The only item found in common among the four clusters of healthcare facilities was EzriCare Artificial Tears, making it the most likely cause of the outbreak.

Healthcare professionals treating patients with VIM-GES-CRPA infections are advised to seek advice from a specialist, take infection control precautions, and think about performing culture and susceptibility testing. This will make it easier to ensure that the right steps are taken to stop the spread of this highly drug-resistant bacterial strain.

Ezricare Responds

EzriCare, LLC has already halted the distribution and sale of their artificial tears product following the CDC bulletin. The company has taken swift action to contact customers and advise against the continued use of the product and has expressed its willingness to cooperate with any requests from the CDC and the FDA.

According to the company, the product is manufactured by Global Pharma Healthcare PVT Limited in India and imported into the United States by Aru Pharma Inc. EzriCare, LLC only designed the product's label and marketed it to customers and had no role in its formulation, packaging, delivery system, or manufacturing.

The product is also marketed under other brand names, and Global Pharma Healthcare PVT Limited is reportedly working with the FDA on a recall of the product, although no recall has been initiated as of the time of the press release.

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