The CDC said a brand of over-the-counter eye drops may be linked to a bacterial infection that has killed one, left three blind in at least one eye and sickened eight more, NBC News reported Jan. 31.
The majority of those affected reported using preservative-free EzriCare Artificial Tears. The infections have not been definitively traced to the eye drops, but the CDC said in a Jan. 20 statement that it still recommends patients immediately stop using them until lab results are complete.
The bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is resistant to most antibiotics. The CDC has identified at least 50 people in 11 states with infections: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Texas, Utah and Washington.
One person died after the bacterium entered their bloodstream. Eleven people reportedly developed eye infections, three of whom were blinded in one eye, and others developed respiratory infections or urinary tract infections, according to NBC News.