The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has recalled several eye drop brands including EzriCare Artificial Tears after three people died, and four others had to undergo eyeball removal surgery because of a rare bacterial infection linked to the products, NBC News reported. 

On Tuesday the CDC reported that 68 patients in 16 states have been infected by the contaminated eye drops. Earlier in the year the  CDC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration put out a warning against using EzriCare or Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears products. However, most patients said they began using the products and started seeing side effects before the recall, a CDC spokesperson wrote in a statement to NBC. 

The products were reportedly manufactured in India by a company named Global Pharma Healthcare, according to USA Today. They have identified the bacteria as Pseudomonas aeruginosa which is an antibiotic-resistant bacteria, meaning the bacteria can survive or even multiply despite the use of medication. 

There have been reportedly three fatalities, eight patients have lost vision in at least one of their eyes, and some have had to get their eyeballs surgically removed, the CDC said. Healthcare providers are urging people who have used the recalled products to seek immediate care and warn others who utilize artificial tears to check the labels and expiration dates before using them.  

“Before putting eye drops in, everyone should double check the bottle’s label to be certain it isn’t one of these recalled products. But at this time there is no concern with using other eye drops,”

Dr. Christopher Starr, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told USA Today.

#Clique, what are your thoughts?