Two types of over-the-counter eye drops that have been recalled in the US after being linked to bacterial infections, including one fatal case, have not been imported to Taiwan, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday.
The agency’s US counterpart on Thursday ordered the recall of EzriCare Artificial Tears or Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears, citing potential bacterial contamination.
Global Pharma Healthcare Private Ltd, which manufactures the product, is suspected of contravening production guidelines, leading to the contamination that caused a multistate outbreak involving a rare, extensively drug-resistant strain of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium, it said.
The US agency said it is working with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health departments to investigate the outbreak.
Fifty-five cases linked to EzriCare Artificial Tears were as of Saturday last week identified in 12 US states, it said.
In Taipei, the FDA said that the outbreak poses no threat to Taiwan, as the drugs are not available in the nation.
Cheng Hsin General Hospital Department of Infectious Diseases director Lee Ming-cheng (李明政) said P aeruginosa is a “very malicious bacterium” that can spread rapidly via contaminated surfaces.
Infections are usually treated with antibiotics, Lee said, adding that the prognosis for cases is best if they start taking the medication within three days of contracting the bacterium.
Cases are documented in which people contracted the bacterium via contaminated contact lenses, Lee said.
Delayed treatment has lead to blindness in some of them, he added.
He said there have been clinical cases of P aeruginosa infection from contaminated surfaces, such as contact lens, and that delayed treatment on a case resulted in blindness.
Additional reporting by CNA
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
South Korea is planning to revise its controversial electronic arrival card, a step Taiwanese officials said prompted them to hold off on planned retaliatory measures, a South Korean media report said yesterday. A Yonhap News Agency report said that the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning to remove the “previous departure place” and “next destination” fields from its e-arrival card system. The plan, reached after interagency consultations, is under review and aims to simplify entry procedures and align the electronic form with the paper version, a South Korean ministry official said. The fields — which appeared only on the electronic form
RSS