Spanish
Buenos Aires.- The death of at least 33 people due to infections caused by fentanyl contaminated during its production in Argentine laboratories has opened a health crisis in the country, where it is being investigated whether there are more people who have lost their lives due to this cause.
At the moment there are 69 suspected cases, 54 confirmed and 33 deaths linked to the bacterial contamination of fentanyl, according to the Argentine Ministry of Health, which reported that all cases have been detected in public clinics and hospitals in the provinces of Buenos Aires and Santa Fe, as well as the Argentine capital.
Read more: Fentanyl in pills skyrockets in the United States
After learning this information, Judge Ernesto Kreplak, in charge of the investigation, requested this Monday to the health authorities of all provinces to send detailed information of patients who have received said drug in recent months, to know if the number of victims is greater and to be able to tackle the crisis.
The medication, which is used as a potent pain reliever, was produced by HLB Pharma and Laboratorios Ramallo and was contaminated with the bacteria Ralstonia pickettii and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which cause serious illnesses, such as antibiotic-resistant pneumonia.
The Malbrán Institute, a reference center in the field of public health, confirmed the direct relationship between the bacteria isolated in deceased patients and those present in the vials of a contaminated batch of fentanyl, which led to the prohibition of the drug's use by the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT) on May 13.
According to local media reports, the justice system suspects that there may be more than one contaminated batch and that is why it could have caused more deaths.
The situation was initially detected at the Hospital Italiano in La Plata, the capital of the province of Buenos Aires, where authorities reported on May 2nd the presence of bacteria in the fentanyl used in intensive care units and where an outbreak of infections originated, with 15 confirmed deaths to date.
