More deaths, injuries linked to recalled eyedrops

By: The Associated Press Posted:

Advertisement

Advertise with us

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials are reporting two more deaths and additional cases of vision loss linked to eyedrops tainted with a drug-resistant bacteria.

Read this article for free:


or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Subscribe and receive a limited-edition Free Press branded hat or tote.

Digital Subscription

One year of digital access for only $205*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional

$1 for the first 4 weeks*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles
Start now

*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/03/2023 (1274 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials are reporting two more deaths and additional cases of vision loss linked to eyedrops tainted with a drug-resistant bacteria.

The eyedrops from EzriCare and Delsam Phama were recalled in February and health authorities are continuing to track infections as they investigate the outbreak.

In the latest government tally, 68 people were diagnosed with infections from the bacteria, which has now caused a total of three deaths and eight cases of people losing their vision, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Tuesday. That’s up from one death and five cases of permanent vision loss reported last month.

FILE - This scanning electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows rod-shaped Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. U.S. officials are reporting two more deaths and additional cases of vision loss linked to eyedrops tainted with the drug-resistant bacteria. The eyedrops from EzriCare and Delsam Phama were recalled in February 2023 and health authorities are continuing to track infections as they investigate the outbreak. (Janice Haney Carr/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP, File)
FILE - This scanning electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows rod-shaped Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. U.S. officials are reporting two more deaths and additional cases of vision loss linked to eyedrops tainted with the drug-resistant bacteria. The eyedrops from EzriCare and Delsam Phama were recalled in February 2023 and health authorities are continuing to track infections as they investigate the outbreak. (Janice Haney Carr/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP, File)

The CDC said four people have undergone surgery to remove an eyeball due to the infections.

The outbreak is considered particularly worrisome because the bacteria driving it is resistant to standard antibiotics.

The CDC has now identified cases in 16 states, including California, New York, Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania. Most of the cases have been linked to four regional clusters and Ezricare’s drops are the only product used by patients in each of those groups.

The recalled drops were manufactured by Global Pharma Healthcare in India, where the bacteria — Pseudomonas aeruginosa — is commonly linked to outbreaks in hospitals. It can spread through contaminated hands or medical equipment.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Advertisement Advertise With Us

Report Error Submit a Tip

Advertisement

Learn more about Winnipeg Free Press Advertising solutions

More Stories

Province pitches soybean crushing plant to potential investors

Alex Lambert 2 minute read 2:01 AM CDT

BRANDON — The Manitoba government is seeking to build a soybean crushing plant and is looking for investment to make it happen.

The proposed facility is one of several projects the NDP government pitched at the international investment summit in Toronto this week.

“We’re in a new world of opportunities that I think provinces or the country of Canada needs to apprehend,” Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn said Monday.

The MLA for Dauphin said soybeans were a “very popular discussion” during recent trade missions in certain parts of Asia.

SVJETLANA MLINAREVIC / THE CARILLON Telecom companies were asked by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to explain their possible roles in the barrage of tornado alerts Manitobans received during a severe June 9 thunderstorm.

Rogers, Telus deny blame for June twister alert barrage

Malak Abas 3 minute read Preview

Rogers, Telus deny blame for June twister alert barrage

Malak Abas 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 7:21 AM CDT

Telecom companies say they aren’t to blame for the barrage of tornado alerts Manitobans received during severe thunderstorms in early June.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission announced in August it would investigate the unusually high number of alerts, and called on the Pelmorex Corp., which operates the national Alert Ready system, along with telecom companies Bell, Rogers and Telus to respond to a number of questions.

They were given until last Friday to describe their possible roles in the creation, receipt, processing or distribution of alerts issued from Environment and Climate Change Canada in the midst of the June 9 storm.

Telus said in its response that it received 133 alert requests targeted to Manitoba created by Environment Canada and forwarded by Pelmorex between 2:35 p.m. June 9 and 3:29 a.m. the following day. While the majority of those messages contained identical information and were automatically suppressed, 17 were ultimately sent out as alerts in Winnipeg.

Read
Updated: Yesterday at 7:21 AM CDT
Submitted An artist’s conception of the Railside development.

A development infused with personal memory

Brent Bellamy 6 minute read Preview

A development infused with personal memory

Brent Bellamy 6 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

I haven’t written here in a while. Early this summer, my mom was unfairly taken from us — from me. Healing, as much as it’s possible, takes time.

Read
Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT
“The price just went too high and we walked away from it,” Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand said as the reason the MMF will not pursue the purchase of the Fort Garry Hotel. They are now considering building a new hotel with its Chinese investment partner. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files)

MMF walks away from bid to buy Fort Garry Hotel

Carol Sanders 3 minute read Preview

MMF walks away from bid to buy Fort Garry Hotel

Carol Sanders 3 minute read Monday, Sep. 14, 2026

The Manitoba Métis Federation won’t buy the historic Fort Garry Hotel, President David Chartrand said Monday.

Read
Monday, Sep. 14, 2026

Winnipeg, economic diversity and risks from AI

Al Vigier 5 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

I run a company that builds software to read documents and fill out forms. When I look at Winnipeg, I see a lot of potential customers. I also think the city should be asking some fairly uncomfortable questions about what companies like mine are selling.

Winnipeg has spent decades building an economy that does not depend on any one industry. Insurance, agriculture, transportation, aerospace, manufacturing, government, health care. That mix has served it well. A bad year for one employer does not necessarily become a bad year for the whole city.

But there is another way to look at that economy: what people actually do when they arrive at work.

Great-West Lifeco, Wawanesa, IGM Financial and Manitoba Public Insurance are all headquartered in Winnipeg. There are provincial departments, Shared Health and businesses handling the freight moving through CentrePort. Their purposes are different. A surprising amount of their paperwork follows the same routine.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS ShopWAG’s Sherri Van Went on the Crafted runway during setup at the WAG on Monday. Van Went has headed up the annual event for six years.

Putting together annual fashion show takes many hard-working hands

AV Kitching 8 minute read Preview

Putting together annual fashion show takes many hard-working hands

AV Kitching 8 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

A frenzy of activity is taking place behind the closed doors of WAG-Qaumajuq on Monday. It’s the day before Crafted on the Catwalk, the gallery’s annual fashion and design show, and the clock is ticking.

There’s less than 30 hours before the big event and it’s all hands on deck.

A steady stream of people walk in and out of the Memorial Boulevard entrance towards the main hall, which glows in soft hues as technicians test out lighting equipment.

The ground floor is teeming with people lugging chairs and pushing trolleys. A stream of white material unravelling from its roll prompts a shouted “OK to step on this?” and receives an equally loud ‘No!” in reply, voices raised above the metallic buzz of a drill as staff from a local production company put together seats.

Read
2:00 AM CDT