CDC says highly drug-resistant bacteria linked to eyedrops can spread person to person

WASHINGTON (KABC) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found highly drug-resistant bacteria linked to EzriCare Artificial Tears has spread from person to person.

Experts said the strain of bacteria has not been previously detected in the U.S. and was difficult to treat with existing antibiotics.

So far this year, the CDC has reported three deaths, eight cases of blindness, and dozens of infections associated with EzriCare Artificial Tears. They were recalled earlier this year.

The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates over-the-counter medicine, recently stopped imports of the product.

According to an inspection report published Friday by the FDA , the manufacturer of the eye drops did not follow proper protocol to prevent contamination of its products.

The FDA visited a Global Pharma Healthcare facility in India for an inspection that started in mid-February, two and a half weeks after the company had voluntarily recalled the product due to possible contamination. At the time of the recall, there were already 55 reports of adverse events including eye infections, permanent loss of vision and at least one death with a bloodstream infection.

An 11-day inspection resulted in 11 observations by the FDA, including a "manufacturing process that lacked assurance of product sterility," specifically for batches of product that were manufactured between December 2020 and April 2022 and shipped to the US.

EzriCare Artificial Tears product, which is manufactured by Global Pharma Healthcare, is part of an outbreak of a rare and drug-resistant bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Patients affected by the outbreak reported using different brands of artificial tears, but EzriCare Artificial Tears was most commonly reported.

The FDA inspection of the Global Pharma Healthcare facility is part of an ongoing compliance matter.

"The FDA's highest priority is protecting public health -- this includes working with manufacturers to quickly remove unsafe drugs from shelves when they are identified," the agency told CNN in an email on Monday. "The FDA continues to monitor this issue and is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the companies recalling these affected products. We urge consumers to stop using these products which may be harmful to their health."

CNN contributed to this report.