MEXICO CITY — On Tuesday, Mexican officials disclosed that the suspected contamination of intravenous (IV) feeding bags has resulted in the tragic deaths of 17 children in the central region of the country, with the recent confirmation of four more fatalities.

David Kershenobich, the nation’s public health secretary, reported that the majority of the deceased were underweight, premature infants undergoing treatment in hospitals, with one victim being a 14-year-old.

Authorities are investigating two types of bacteria, one of which is a multidrug-resistant strain, that are thought to be related to the fatalities.

The contamination is believed to have occurred at a manufacturing facility in Toluca that produced the IV nutrition solutions, prompting a temporary shutdown of the company and a suspension of the product’s use.

The initial infections were documented beginning on November 22, with the last case identified on December 3. Approximately 20 additional patients contracted the infection and are now receiving treatment.

The first 13 deaths were reported across three government hospitals and one private facility in the State of Mexico, adjacent to Mexico City.

Kershenobich indicated that while he does not anticipate any further fatalities, authorities are monitoring other potential outbreaks with similar symptoms in the State of Mexico.

Moreover, three additional fatalities were recorded in Michoacán and one in Guanajuato, with all cases linked to the same bacteria and IV bags involved.

In response to the outbreak, Mexico’s federal Public Health Department instructed healthcare providers nationwide to refrain from using IV nutrition bags produced by Productos Hospitalarios S.A de C.V. As the investigation continues, attempts to reach the company for comment went unanswered.

The situation appears to involve Klebsiella oxytoca, a multidrug-resistant bacterium, and enterobacter cloacae, both responsible for blood infections in the affected infants.

This incident marks another setback for Mexico’s struggling healthcare system, which is often criticized for being underfunded and inefficient. Just last month, the director of the national cardiology institute highlighted a critical lack of essential supplies due to budget cuts impacting the hospital’s operational capabilities.

Dr. Jorge Gaspar, the institute’s director, expressed concern in an internal memo about how financial restrictions hinder the hospital’s ability to procure necessary supplies. Following the leak of his letter, he reassured the public that steps were being taken to address the deficiencies.

Mexico has faced a series of scandals involving contaminated medical supplies over recent years. Earlier in 2023, an anesthesiologist was arrested following a meningitis outbreak that resulted in 35 deaths and left 79 others ill.

Authorities claimed that the doctor inadvertently spread a fungal infection by transferring morphine between hospitals, which contaminated the drug provided at one facility.

Many smaller medical facilities in Mexico, including maternity clinics, often lack their own dispensaries for controlled substances, leading to a reliance on anesthesiologists to transport supplies.

In another significant case from 2020, 14 people died after a medication used for dialysis at a state-run hospital was found to be tainted with bacteria, affecting over 69 patients during that outbreak.

Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who left office on September 30, had previously raised concerns regarding inflated drug prices and attempted to overhaul the medical procurement process to provide healthcare services of a quality comparable to those in Denmark.

However, the implementation of government-controlled drug depots has not delivered the intended results, as it remains marred by persistent shortages and an overall empty state of the so-called “mega drug store” established under his administration.