WHO warns of contaminated India cough syrups

The WHO said the affected medicines are specific batches of Coldrif from Sresan Pharmaceutical, Respifresh TR from Rednex Pharmaceuticals and ReLife from Shape Pharma.

The agency said the contaminated products pose significant risks and can cause severe, potentially life-threatening illness.

India's health authority, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, informed the WHO the syrups were reportedly consumed by children, all under the age of five, who recently died in the central state of Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district.

The cough medicine contained toxic diethylene glycol in quantities nearly 500 times the permissible limit.

CDSCO said none of the contaminated medicines have been exported from India and there is no evidence of illegal export.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed on Friday that these toxic cough syrups had not been shipped to the United States.