An urgent recall of soaps marketed to immunocompromised people has been expanded to now include dozens of products.

DermaRite Industries, LLC, based in New Jersey, began the initial recall in July upon discovering that several of its antiseptic cleansers were tainted with the bacteria Burkholderia cepacia, which targets individuals with weakened immune systems.

This bacterium particularly affects those with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder known for causing severe lung damage and rendering patients susceptible to persistent infections.

Around 40,000 Americans have the disease, and 1,000 cases are diagnosed every year, mostly in children under two. 

The company stated in a news release that exposure to the bacterium could lead to ‘serious and life-threatening infections’ and sepsis, an extreme body response to infection that prompts the immune system to attack healthy organs and tissues.

The recall originally included products under the names DermaKleen, DermaSarra, KleenFoam and PeriGiene.  

The recall now incorporates 28 additional brand names covering deodorants, lotions, shampoo, and hand sanitizer, distributed across the US and Puerto Rico.

See below for a full list of recalled product names. 

A soap recall has been broadened to encompass over 30 products due to concerns about bacteria that can cause severe infections in immunocompromised individuals (stock image).

Thus far, DermaRite has not received any reports of infections associated with their products, and the means of contamination remain unclear.

B. cepacia resists most antibiotics, spreads easily through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing and can trigger a fast-moving, often fatal pneumonia called ‘cepacia syndrome.’

Even CF patients with mild symptoms can develop this aggressive infection. About one in five people with CF who carry the bacteria will progress to severe illness, sometimes with life-threatening bloodstream infections.

In addition to people with cystic fibrosis, immunocompromised people who have sickle cell anemia, are being treated for cancer, and being treated for burns, are most at risk of severe infection caused by B. cepacia. 

The company said in its latest release: ‘Burkholderia cepacia complex in these products may result in serious and life-threatening infections if the products are used by immunosuppressed individuals or by people attending to immunosuppressed individuals. 

‘For healthy individuals with minor skin lesions, the use of the product may result in local infections, whereas in immunocompromised individuals the infection could spread into the blood stream, potentially leading to life-threatening sepsis.’

The above shows one of the recalled soap brands 

Burkholderia cepacia bacteria is pictured above (stock image)

Scientists call B. cepacia the ‘chronic colonizer,’ because once it infects the lungs of someone with CF, it persists for life, resisting antibiotics and the body’s immune system.

It can evade treatment with most common antibiotics, but some, including Bactrim, meropenem, or ceftazidime, have been shown to be effective.

But there is no established, universal treatment for the infection. Doctors typically combine oral antibiotics to those administered through an IV. Even then, success is not guaranteed.

The bacteria sickens around 20 percent of CF patients. It can spread throughout the body and cause Cepacia syndrome (CS), a severe form of pneumonia that kills lung tissue with a mortality rate approaching 75 percent.

In some cases, it can spread beyond the lungs, resulting in multi-system organ failure and death.

The bacteria can spread from person to person through droplets emitted when a person coughs or sneezes. It can contaminate medical equipment in hospitals, while also appearing in moist areas in the home, including sinks and humidifiers. 

The company urges people and stores that received shipments of the products ‘examine available inventory and destroy all affected products.’

DermaRite said: ‘Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking or using this product or have questions about whether the product was used in their health care facility.’