Argentina: Dozens Dead from Contaminated Fentanyl

At least 96 people have died in Argentina after being treated with medical-grade fentanyl contaminated with bacteria. Officially, the death toll is 87, but a judicial source stated that another nine deaths are under investigation, according to the Guardian.

The alarm was first raised in May when dozens of patients in hospitals suffered severe bacterial infections. Patients were found to have strains of the bacteria *Klebsiella pneumoniae* and *Ralstonia pickettii*, some of which were resistant to many different antibiotics.

The investigation revealed that the source was fentanyl originating from the pharmaceutical company HLB Pharma and its laboratory, Laboratorio Ramallo. Tests conducted by the Argentine drug authority (Anmat) confirmed the bacterial contamination in the deceased. The contamination was found in ampoules from two batches of fentanyl manufactured by the company.

Authorities report that the contamination may have affected more than 300,000 ampoules distributed in various provinces. The owner of HLB Pharma, Ariel García Furfaro, denied that the deaths could be directly attributed to his product.

No charges have been filed, but a court has named 24 people involved in the manufacture and sale of the opioid substance. They have been banned from leaving the country, and their assets have been frozen.