Beware! Federal health officials are investigating dozens of blood infections in at least two states linked to medical syringes contaminated with bacteria. No deaths have been reported but 40 people in Illinois and Texas have been sickened.
The syringes at issue are filled with heparin, a blood thinner, and are used by cancer patients at home to clear out catheters and intravenous lines. The infections were caused by a bacterium called Serratia marcescens. The company who manufacturers the syringes, Sierra PreFilled, is located in Angier, North Carolina.