WHO global alert over contaminated cough syrup that has killed at least 20 kids

The 20 children, all of whom were under the age of five, are said to have ingested Colrif cough medicine before dying from poisoning symptoms as the company’s owner has been arrested

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The World Health Organization has issued a worldwide alert over a contaminated medicine that has killed at least 20 children.^[1][2]

It comes after local reports in India said the youngsters, all aged under five, died in central India after ingestng the toxic cough syrup.^[3] The tots, who lived in the state of Madhya Pradesh, died over the past month after taking the medicine, which contained diethylene glycol [DEG] at almost 500 times the limit.

The substance is usually used as an industrial solvent or antifreeze agent. It’s fatal even in small amounts. Indian cops have arrested S. Ranganathan, who owns the company behind the deadly Coldrif syrup.

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The WHO has now issued a alert for the “oral liquid medicines” in common cold, flu or cough medicines after receiving a report from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) of India on October 8. On its website, the WHO states: “The contaminated oral liquid medicines have been identified to be specific batches of COLDRIF, Respifresh TR and ReLife, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceutical, Rednex Pharmaceuticals, and Shape Pharma.”

Indian authorities have ordered an immediate halt to production lines at the concerned factories. They have also ordered a recall of the contaminated products.

At present, it’s not thought that the contaminated medicines have been exported from India. However, the WHO has advised countries to consider market surveillance of unregulated supply chains.

The agency warns the products could cause “severe and potentially life-threatening illness. DEG is “toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal”, it adds.

Among its toxic effects are “abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.” People who fear they may have ingested the product are being told to “seek immediate medicall advice from a health-care professional or contact a poisons control centre”.

“20 children have lost their lives in the unfortunate incident from Chhindwara, Betul and Pandhurna districts,” Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla told Asia News International^[6]. Ranganathan, based in the Tamil Nadu state, was arrested in Chennai.

He was due to appear in court before being transferred to Chhindwara, the city’s superintendent of police Ajay Pandey told the outlet. Local drug authorities have ramped up efforts to remove contaminated medicine from circulation – testing random samples and even making door-to-door calls to retrieve bottles of Coldrif.

“We (have) got 30-40 bottles (through this means)… we (also) recalled some from retailers and stockists,” district administrator Harendra Narayan said. He added that 594 bottles of the syrup had been sold to pharmaceutical distributors in the region over the last six weeks.

Indian drugmakers are legally required to test each batch of raw materials and final products. Since 2023, exports of cough syrups have also required additional testing at government-approved laboratories, following the deaths of over 10 children in Gambia, Uzbekistan and Cameroon linked to Indian syrups.

Indian authorities have also urged people to avoid two other locally sold syrups – Respifresh and RELIFE – made by Shape Pharma and Rednex Pharmaceuticals, both based in Gujarat, after tests revealed they too contained the same toxic chemical.