Over 190 superbug infections were reported in Europe and the United States between 2012 and 2015 following the use of Olympus Corp. endoscopes, an investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has found.
Several of the individuals infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria died, though it is not certain whether their deaths were the direct result of infection, according to the consortium, which includes Kyodo News.
The ICIJ also revealed that an Olympus executive in Tokyo sent an email in 2013 to the company's U.S. arm stating, "It is not need (needed) to communicate to all the users actively" about the possibility of infection due to the use of Olympus duodenum endoscopes.