A pharmacist is urging Britons to "check the medication they have" after one person in the UK died and dozens of people have been infected after using a contaminated gel to treat dry eyes.
Infection was “considered to have contributed to the death of one case”, according to a report by UK health chiefs who investigated the link between an outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) and the use of specific brands of lubricating eye gel.
Bcc is a bacteria which is “widely found within the environment”, such as soil and water, but is “naturally resistant to many antibiotics”, according to a Health Protection Report.
It “very rarely causes infection” among healthy people but can cause severe infection among people with weakened immune systems and people with cystic fibrosis, the report stated.
All patients can now use carbomer-containing lubricating eye products, with the exception of the recalled products
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In November last year, the medicines watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), issued a safety notice on certain batches of carbomer-containing gel “due to possible microbiological contamination” and, at the same time, certain batches of three eye gels were recalled.
The new report, by the UK Health Security Agency, stated there were 52 confirmed and six probable cases across the UK associated with the outbreak between January 2023 and February 2024.
The youngest person affected was a baby while the oldest was 91 years old.
Seven out of 10 cases (71 percent) were among patients in hospital with 38 cases needing critical care.
Overall, 25 cases were considered to have “clinically significant infections attributable to Bcc”, according to the report.
The MHRA said that it has now received “sufficient assurance from manufacturers and suppliers to conclude that products available on the UK market are safe to use and free of contamination”.
“UKHSA will continue to follow up new cases and keep vigilance for emergent clusters of Burkholderia cepacia complex,” the Health Protection Report said.
Commenting on the latest report, pharmacist Thorrun Govind tells GB News: "The MHRA are satisfied that carbomer-containing lubricating eye products available on the UK market are safe to use. Therefore, the action to ‘avoid the use of all carbomer-containing eye products in individuals with cystic fibrosis, patients being cared for in critical care settings, the severely immunocompromised and patients awaiting lung transplantation’ has been removed. All patients can now use carbomer-containing lubricating eye products, with the exception of the recalled products."
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Burkholderia Cepacia is naturally resistant to many antibiotics
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She continiued: "My advice would therefore be for all patients to check the medication they have carefully in order to find the batches being recalled."
If a patient does have a product from the batches impacted, the pharmacists says they should speak to their healthcare professional and the same if they have any concerns.
Carbomer-containing lubricating eye gels are found in the following branded products:
- Aacarb
- Aacomer
- Puroptics
