Quote:Killer eye drops recall: What we know about the contaminated products that have killed three Americans, blinded eight and forced four patients to have their eyeballs surgically removed

• More than 117 million Americans used eyedrops or eyewashes regularly in 2020
  
• The drops have led to infections of drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa 
  
• Three people have died and eight have lost their vision
  

A flurry of US deaths and blindness caused by contaminated eyedrops has caused panic nationwide.
Three Americans have died, eight have suffered vision loss and four people have had to have their eyeballs removed after becoming infected with a rare drug-resistant strain of bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 
The bacteria has been found lurking in EzriCare and Delsam Pharma eyedrops from the Indian manufacturer Global Pharma, which have been recalled while health officials investigate. 
Most patients reported using 10 different brands of artificial tears, but EzriCare Artificial Tears, a preservative-free, over-the-counter product, was the brand most commonly reported.
What do we know about the outbreak?


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 68 people in 16 states were diagnosed with infections from the bacteria in EzriCare, which has caused three deaths and eight people losing their vision, and four people who had to have their eyeballs removed


As of March 14, a reported 68 patients in 16 states have been infected with this 'rare strain' of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)