The
New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) Communicable Disease Service (CDS) is
issuing a Health Advisory about infections with a rare drug-resistant strain of
Verona Integron-mediated Metallo-ß-lactamase (VIM) and Guiana-Extended
Spectrum-ß-Lactamase (GES)-producing carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (VIM-GES-CRPA)
in 12 states, including New Jersey.
Most
case-patients reported using artificial tears. Patients reported more than 10
different brands of artificial tears, and some patients used multiple brands.
The majority of patients who used artificial tears reported using EzriCare
Artificial Tears, a preservative-free, over-the-counter product packaged in
multidose bottles. CDC laboratory testing identified the presence of the
outbreak strain in opened EzriCare bottles with different lot numbers collected
from two states.
Per
CDC guidance, patients and healthcare providers should immediately
discontinue using EzriCare artificial tears pending additional guidance
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).
Please
see attached NJDOH LINCS message and the CDC Health Alert Network (HAN) message
for more information.
This information has been broadcast to: Academic Leaders; Business & Industry Leaders; Community Organizations; Day Care Centers / Preschools; School Administrators; School Nurses; Educational Institutions; Emergency Management; Food Safety Organizations; Local & County Government; Local Businesses; Local Media; Recreational Facilities; State & Federal Government Facilities; State & Federal Government Leaders; Transportation; Utilities; Community Sector; Animal Health Organizations; Animal Health Professionals; Blood Banks; Community Health Centers (FQHCs); Emergency Medical Services / First Responders; EMS Council; Long-term Care; Health Care Facilities / Other; Health Care Organizations; Health Care Providers; Hospital Staff Directory; Hospital CEOs; Hospital Emerg Preparedness Coords; Hospital ER Medical Directors; Hospital Infection Control Practitioners; Hospital Medical Directors; Hospital Nursing Directors; Hospital Patient Safety Liaisons; Hospital Quality Liaisons; Hospital Security Directors; ICU Administrator; Lab Director; Hospitals / Acute Care; Hospitals / Other; Hospitals / Veterans; Labs / Non-Sentinel; Labs / Sentinel; Occupational Health Organizations; Pharmaceutical Suppliers; Health Care Sector; Local Boards of Health; Board of Public Utilities; Department of Children & Families; Department of Agriculture; Department of Community Affairs; Department of Corrections; Department of Education; Department of Environmental Protection; Department of Human Services; Department of Labor & Workforce Development; Department of Law and Public Safety; Department of Transportation; EMS Task Force; NJ Hospital Association; Office of Information Technology(OIT); Office of the Governor; New Jersey Departments & Agencies; DHSS Staff; NJDOH Staff; NJLINCS and Local Contacts; NJLINCS Community; Alabama; Alaska; American Samoa; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; District of Columbia; Federated State of Micronesia; Florida; Georgia; Guam; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Marshalls Island; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hamsphire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; North Mariana Islands; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Palau; Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennnesse; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virgin Islands; Virginia; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin; Wyoming; Other State Partners; Public Health Associations; Public Health Council; Public Health Sector