Four individuals have died in an outbreak of a strain of drug-resistant bacteria linked to contaminated eye drops, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now warning people to stop using two more eye drops after the agency found bacterial contamination in some of them.
According to a notice published on the FDA website, consumers should not use the MSM Drops 5% solution and Dr. Berne’s LightEyez MSM eye drop.
“The use of contaminated eye drops can result in mild to severe infection with the risk of vision loss, which can progress to a life-threatening infection,” the FDA announced in the alert released on Tuesday.
The FDA reported that the Dr. Berne brand voluntarily pulled its affected MSM Drops 5% solution on Monday.
But health authorities reported that LightEyez “did not respond to the FDA or take measures to protect consumers”. The federal agency said it sent an email to the company on Monday “seeking to discuss the FDA’s concerns” with their product.
Individuals who have purchased any eye drop product are advised not to use it and throw it in the trash.
The FDA is asking people, including healthcare professionals, to report problems with all medicines to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.
With information from usatoday
