(WWJ) – At least two people in the U.S., including a Northern Michigan woman, have died from a tuberculosis infection linked to contaminated bone graft material from a Maryland-based tissue supplier.
Shandra Eisenga of Marion in Osceola County died Aug. 10 after she was treated for a post-surgical TB infection at the University of Michigan, according to a report from The Detroit News.
Eisenga had spent about a month in the ICU after experiencing multi-organ failure due to the infection, according to the report. She was infected after undergoing an elective spinal procedure in April in which the contaminated product was used.
Dr. Robert Dickson, one of the doctors who treated her in Ann Arbor, told The News he has “initiated an investigation” with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Eisenga was one of at least two people to die from a TB infection after receiving the contaminated bone tissue product from Aziyo Biologics, based in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Officials say 36 people received the product in surgical or dental procedures earlier this year.
The same company was involved in a similar outbreak in 2021 that led to more than 80 infections and eight deaths, according to the report. Aziyo issued a voluntary recall in mid-July of its contaminated products.
The CDC says contaminated shipments were sent to more than a dozen facilities in seven states, including Michigan between the end of February and late June.
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan announced Thursday she sent a letter to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf and CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen “expressing concerns” about the recent outbreak.
“As someone who has received several bone grafts in the last couple of years and signed consent forms on automatic pilot, I admit I didn’t take the time to even understand the potential risks. This tuberculosis outbreak linked to contaminated bone graft material does two things,” Dingell said in a statement. “First, it demonstrates the urgent need for stronger safety standards to prevent incidences like this from happening again, and second, it serves as a frightening wake-up call for all of us about what more needs to be done to educate patients about potential risks and the need to pay attention.”
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