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HealthArgentina: contaminated fentanyl is at least 87 dead
Two bacteria were discovered in batch of painkillers administered to patients in several hospitals in the country. A complaint has been filed.
The families of the victims claim justice, as here the father of a 32 -year -old young man who died after he was given contaminated fentanyl.
AFPArgentine justice investigates the death of 87 patients in various hospitals, who consumed contaminated medical fentanyl. A complaint was filed by the National Administration of Argentinian Medical Medical Medical Drugs, Food and Technologies, after the discovery by a bacteria hospital in medical fentanyl, an opioid (see box), administered to patients.
The deaths were recorded in hospitals in the province of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe (Center), Formosa (Northeast) and Cordoba (center), said judge Ernesto Kreplak, in charge of the case, to the conservative newspaper “La Nación”.
According to the article published Wednesday, at least 24 people are affected by the survey. Among them, Ariel Furfaro García, owner of the HLB Pharma and Laboratorios Ramallo companies, who would have produced and sold the fentanyl in question, details the daily.
Five contaminated lots of the bacteria “Klebsiella pneumoniae” (which causes pneumonia, pleurisy and urinary tract infections) and “ralstonia pickettii” (involved in blood infections, pneumonia, endocarditis, meningitis, in particular) would have been distributed in eight hospitals and health centers in the country.
“Justice for the victims”
Two weeks ago, families of deceased patients had demonstrated in front of the Italian Plata hospital, 60 km south of Buenos Aires, demanding “justice for the victims of fentanyl”. “Fentanyl killed him in a few days,” said Alejandro Ayala, brother of Leonel, who died at the age of 32.
According to experts quoted by “La Nación”, the number of deaths in connection with this bacterial contamination could evolve as the study of medical records of deceased patients.
At the center of the opioid crisis
Extremely powerful painkillers (100 times more than morphine and 50 times more than pure heroine), fentanyl is known to be at the center of the “opioid crisis” in the United States. This medication was diverted from its primary use to become a fatal drug due to its very addictive properties. Result: between 1999 and 2021, 645,000 people died in the country of an overdose caused by opioids, according to American centers for the control and prevention of diseases. (EGR)