Deadly bacteria in eye drops can spread from person to person

A new strain of “superbug” emerged in the United States last year, causing people in 16 states to start contracting eye, respiratory and other ailments. Urinary-tract infection did not respond to antibiotics. As of 14 March, 68 cases have been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three of those infected died, eight lost their sight, and four had to have their eyes surgically removed.

Final common cause It became clear: Bacterial Contamination in Bottles of “Artificial Tears”‘ is marketed under the EzriCare and Delsam Pharma brand names and imported from plants in India belonging to Global Pharma Healthcare Limited.Some containers of these eye drops contain extreme Drug-resistant strain bacterial Pseudomonas aeruginosasurvived exposure to most of the drugs normally used to treat it.

But a spokeswoman for the CDC’s Antimicrobial Resistance Team said 19 infected people reported not using the drops at all. Nine of these people were identified at medical facilities that had clusters of cases. nursing home in Connecticut. This made it more likely that the bacteria could have been transmitted from person to person through direct contact or through healthcare workers or contaminated equipment.

Spread of infection from person to person Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infectious disease experts say it’s not surprising, especially in medical settings. Pseudomonas aeruginosa It is one of many drug-resistant pathogens that thrive in settings such as hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. It may adhere to medical equipment and infect people with weakened immune systems.Other drug-resistant strains Pseudomonas aeruginosa caused the presumption 28,800 infections and 2,500 deaths in the United States in 2020, according to the latest data from the CDC. The agency describes the bacteria as “seriousAlongside drug-resistant tuberculosis and methicillin resistance, the threat of antibiotic resistance — the second most dangerous category — Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

“Pseudomonas It’s just one of the living bugs.” Benjamin Chanan evolutionary biologist at Yale University who has helped treat patients with resistance Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection. The new strain, never seen before in the United States, can survive exposure to at least a dozen antibiotics, including carbapenems. Fortunately, however, the new strain appears to be susceptible to at least one other antibiotic of last resort.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa It is an opportunistic pathogen, meaning it infects people with compromised immune systems. increase.This type of bacteria prefers a moist environment and can survive exposure to many disinfectants, so it can cling to medicines and sink drains. Pseudomonas aeruginosa It can gain a foothold in medical settings and spread among patients.

“It’s definitely one of the more difficult infections to treat, regardless of antibiotic susceptibility,” he said. Shiv GandhiInfectious disease specialist at Yale Medical School. Unfortunately, they are often resistant to multiple antibiotics, making him one of the “most feared” drug-resistant organisms, he says.

Healthcare settings Pseudomonas aeruginosa Develops resistance under extreme pressure. Compared to other species of bacteria, they are particularly good at evolving new cellular tactics to evade antibiotics.

“Pseudomonas It has a lot of tricks up its sleeve,” says Ghandi. Create an enzyme called VIM. Gregory Madden, an infectious disease researcher and clinician at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. VIM is the worst thing to deal with because it “chews up almost any beta-lactam you can throw at it, including big guns like carbapenems.” “This is where it starts to feel like a pre-antibiotic era, when there are no good antibiotic options to treat these infections,” he says.

Fortunately, laboratory testing of five samples of the new strain showed that the bacterium appears to be sensitive to one of the newer generation beta-lactams called cefiderocol. While this is “somewhat reassuring,” it does not guarantee that all infections will respond to medication: A recent study of a 72-year-old woman who lost almost all of her vision in her left eye after using EzriCare drops According to case studies, Successfully treated with cefiderocol Female Pseudomonas aeruginosa Although infected, her sight did not recover.

These new-generation beta-lactam antibiotics are lifesaving, but they all rely on similar mechanisms to kill bacteria. new approach Wipe out these microbes. Chan said drug companies believe that developing antibiotics is largely unprofitable because new antibiotics are usually used only for the most drug-resistant cases.Recent Pseudomonas aeruginosa The outbreak highlights the importance of staying ahead of bacteria and fungi in evolving immunity to the drugs in our arsenal, he added.

Some scientists see promise in a treatment called bacteriophage therapy. Bacteriophages, often called phages for short, are viruses that naturally target and kill specific bacterial strains.These tiny predators are successfully treating drug resistance Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infected involving Chan’s team at Yale University. According to the CDC, the University of California, San Diego Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapies Identified phages capable of acting against new strains Pseudomonas aeruginosaHowever, phage therapy is only available in the United States for people with life-threatening conditions and is usually not covered by insurance. However, some phage therapy centers offer treatment for free or at reduced rates.

Drug-resistant infections are on the rise worldwide. “Ten years ago, these carbapenem-resistant organisms were very rare and mostly found in other countries,” says Madden. “But in the last year or two, we’ve definitely seen more people in the United States.” It’s likely due to a combination of long-term trends, he says.

Since genes that enable bacteria to resist antibiotics can spread among different bacterial species, evolved drug resistance Pseudomonas aeruginosa It can jump to other types of bacteria such as Escherichia coli. “You may find yourself in a situation where you have to go home. [intravenous] We use antibiotics for regular urinary tract infections,” says Madden. “We’ve seen it. So this is a real problem. It’s only going to get worse.”

The worsening crisis underscores the importance of limiting antibiotic use, says Gandhi. It is the main and best way to prevent the spread of infection.”