Contaminated nasal spray 'not available in Malta'

Supplies of the popular nasal spray Vicks Sinex available in Malta are not infected with the bacteria found in other lots across Europe and the US.

Some 120,000 bottles of Vicks Sinex spray were recalled by manufacturer Procter & Gamble from Britain, the US and Germany after they were found to contain Burkholderia cepacia.

Procter & Gamble said the bacteria was found in a small portion of the product made at its plant in Gross Gerau, Germany.

"There have been no reports of illness. However, the bacteria could cause serious infections for individuals with a compromised immune system or those with chronic lung conditions, such as cystic fibrosis," the company said, adding that B. cepacia posed little medical risk to healthy individuals.

The company said it detected the problem during routine quality control at the plant and promptly took action. Analysis found that the problem was limited to a single batch of raw material mixture involving three lots of the product that had only been sold in the US, Germany and the UK. These have been recalled from the shelves.

When contacted, Mark Cilia, director of the Medicines' Authority inspectorate section, said the three lots were not available in Malta. In fact, one of the lots - Vicks Sinex Micromist Aqueous Nasal Spray - was not even registered to be sold here.

He said investigations confirmed the infected sprays were not available in Malta.

B. cepacia is found in soil and water and can cause pneumonia in people who have a weakened immune system or chronic lung diseases. It is often resistant to common antibiotics and can spread from person to person. Good hygiene and regular hand washing can reduce the risk of infection.