The Pennsylvania and New Jersey Health Departments have announced ongoing investigations into a possible link between a bacterial infection and a type of prefilled syringe that is used to flush intravenous lines with saline solution to keep them sterile.
Over the last several months, federal agencies have been tracking reports by several states of clusters of Burkholderia cepacia in health-care facilities. The group of bacteria, which can be resistant to common antibiotics. often cause no symptoms but can be dangerous to people with weakened immune systems or chronic lung diseases, especially cystic fibrosis. No deaths have been reported in connection with the outbreak.
