The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning about a batch of contaminated common cold syrup, branded Cold Out, that was manufactured by an Indian company and found in Iraq. The syrup had higher than acceptable levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, which are toxic chemicals that can cause kidney failure, neurological damage, and death.
The batch was manufactured by Fourrts (India) Laboratories for Dabilife Pharma, both of which have not provided guarantees to WHO on the safety and quality of the product. This is the latest in a series of alerts by the WHO about substandard medicines from India, especially cough syrups, that have been linked to the deaths of children in several countries, including Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Cameroon.
WHO has urged health authorities and consumers to be vigilant and report any adverse reactions or quality issues related to the use of Cold Out syrup. The agency has also recommended that health professionals avoid prescribing or dispensing the product until further notice. WHO has also requested the manufacturer and the marketer to recall the affected batch and conduct a thorough investigation into the root cause of the contamination.