CDC: Eyedrops sold at Walmart, other stores linked to infections - NBC News

One person has died and at least three other people have permanent vision loss because of a bacterial infection possibly linked to a brand of over-the-counter eyedrops, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which urged consumers Wednesday to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears while it investigatesthe outbreak.

A majority of those affected reported using preservative-free EzriCare Artificial Tears before they became ill, said Maroya Spalding Walters, head of the CDC's antimicrobial resistance team.

So far, the CDC has identified at least 55 people in 12 states with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a type of bacterium resistant to most antibiotics.

Cases have been reported in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.

While the infections have not been definitively traced to the eyedrops,the CDC is working with the Food and Drug Administration and state and local health officials to investigate.

It is unclear whether the affected patients had underlying eye conditions that would have made them more susceptible, such as glaucoma or cataracts.