Patient dies from fecal transplant, FDA warns

The FDA alerted healthcare providers June 13 that at least one patient has died after receiving a fecal transplant containing drug-resistant bacteria.

One other person was sick from the transplant, according to the agency. Both patients received stool from the same donor and had weak immune systems. Only one has died.

The FDA noted that the donor stool had not been tested for a type of drug-resistant bacteria called extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing E. Coli prior to the transplant.

After the illness and death occurred, a stored preparation of the donor stool was tested and found to be positive for the bacteria. The strain found was identical to the one found in the two patients.

The FDA didn't disclose where the stool came from or the organization that provided the transplant. Additionally, it didn't explain why the patients received the fecal transplant. However, fecal transplants are commonly used to treat bacterial infections like Clostridium difficile.

"Patients considering [fecal transplants] to treat C. difficile infection should speak to their healthcare provider to understand the potential risks associated with the product's use," the FDA said.

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