First death in Córdoba linked to contaminated fentanyl use confirmed

One person died in Córdoba after receiving fentanyl, and the case was included in a federal investigation into the use of contaminated opioids. The investigation, led by Judge Ernesto Kreplak from La Plata, already includes 74 deaths in different Argentine provinces. This is a national health issue involving a laboratory authorized to produce this type of substance.

According to journalist Laura González, the death occurred in May at the Vélez Sarsfield Clinic in the capital city of Córdoba. At that same medical center, three other people were also treated with fentanyl from the questioned batch and managed to recover. Subsequent analyses confirmed the presence of the adulterated product in all patients.

The National Administration of Drugs, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT) detected the problem during bacteriological studies. Since then, controls have been intensified throughout the country to detect and withdraw the involved ampoules. In Córdoba, provincial authorities claim to have withdrawn all doses that had been distributed locally.

Officials claim Córdoba withdrew all doses from the contaminated batch

The director of Pharmacy at the provincial Ministry of Health, Mariano Zaragoza, said that batch 31.202 reached multiple jurisdictions in the country. He detailed that it was ANMAT that had authorized the HLB Pharma laboratory to manufacture and distribute the product. "It is a laboratory that is authorized, not only does it manufacture fentanyl but also cosmetic products and others," he stated.

The official indicated that Córdoba activated an internal protocol after the first official warning on May 8. It was then that the pharmacovigilance system was launched, which made it possible to detect irregularities in health centers. The national suspension of the batch and the closure of the laboratory were only formalized on May 13.

"That same day all laboratory activities were suspended; it means that manufacturing, distributing, or selling is not allowed," Zaragoza explained. He also stated that as of May 27, the judiciary took control of the case. "Everything goes to a judicial case, and that's when we lose this information issue because everything is in the hands of the judiciary," he said.

The judiciary moves forward with new expert reports and adds cases outside the official registry

The Federal Court of La Plata confirmed that the new deaths were not in the database of the Integrated Health Information System. The identifications were made based on the analysis of medical records and direct reports from medical institutions. That explains why the National Ministry of Health had not incorporated them earlier.

ANMAT clarified that each jurisdiction received precise guidelines for the extraction of the compromised ampoules. However, more than 42,000 units from batch 31.202 have yet to be recovered, according to data cited in the case. Monitoring of possible consequences remains active in the provinces most affected by the distribution.

In Córdoba the first death directly linked to the contaminated opioid was confirmed. The federal judiciary is still awaiting a key study from the Malbrán Institute. This is a biological expert report that could provide central evidence to move forward with new charges or possible criminal responsibilities.