GENEVA, Switzerland (Kashmir English): The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a health advisory warning about three contaminated cough syrups identified in India, also urging authorities to report any detection of these medicines in their countries to the organization.
According to the WHO, the affected medicines are specific batches of Coldrif from Sresan Pharmaceutical, Respifresh TR from Rednex Pharmaceuticals and ReLife from Shape Pharma.
The WHO said the contaminated products pose significant risks and can cause severe, potentially life-threatening illness.
India’s health authority, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, informed the health agency that the syrups recently caused deaths to children, all under the age of five, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara city.
Cough medicines contained toxic diethylene glycol
The cough medicines contained toxic diethylene glycol in quantities nearly 500 times the permissible limit.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization said none of the contaminated medicines have been exported from India and there is no evidence of illegal export.
The US Food and Drug Administration also confirmed that these toxic cough syrups had not been shipped to the US.
