Contaminated eye drops lead to an increase in deaths.

Two more deaths have been linked to a popular brand of eye drops, prompting the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue an alert to healthcare professionals a few weeks ago. The CDC alert follows reports of product-related infections that have resulted in a total of three deaths. As of March 14, 68 patients in 16 states have been diagnosed with the infection and the death toll continues to mount.

In addition to the deaths, eight patients lost their sight and four others had at least one eye surgically removed. More than half of the reported cases of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa outbreak have been traced to four health facilities, according to officials cited in the Science Alert report.

The common denominator for most sufferers was the use of EzriCare Artificial Tears, a brand of preservative-free eye drops from Indian pharmaceutical company Global Pharma. P. aeruginosa is known for its adaptability and hardiness, as it can thrive in a variety of environments, from jet fuel to distilled water. Its ability to form a protective biofilm resistant to many disinfectants makes it a constant threat in healthcare.

The strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa responsible for the current outbreak in the US is new, health officials have confirmed.The bacterium known as VIM-GES-CRPA is resistant to the antibiotic carbapenem and has two additional enzymes (VIM and GES) that render a variety of β-lactam antibiotics ineffective. This makes the pathogen particularly difficult to treat and poses a serious risk, especially for patients with a weakened immune system.