Argentina raises death toll from tainted fentanyl to more than 100
Aug. 15 (UPI) -- More than 100 people are believed to have died from a batch of medical fentanyl that may have been contaminated, Argentina's government said in a statement from the presidential press office. The government blamed a local laboratory, HLB Pharma Group S.A., for the incident.
The tragedy, described as one of the most serious in the country's public health history, began with the distribution of vials contaminated with multidrug-resistant bacteria -- including Klebsiella pneumoniae and Ralstonia pickettii -- used in public and private hospitals across several regions since early 2025.
Although the first cases were detected in May, the death toll has continued to rise in recent days, reaching 96 confirmed deaths with at least nine more under investigation.
From the presidential palace, President Javier Milei's government said the company responsible, led by businessman Ariel García Furfaro, engaged in "criminal conduct" by allowing the defective product to be distributed.
The presidential press office said more than 300,000 vials of the drug were produced, about 45,000 of which were administered before recall protocols were activated.
Unlike other critical medications, clinical-use fentanyl was not fully integrated into the national electronic tracking system, making it harder to detect the problem early and identify the health centers that received the contaminated vials.
In a public appearance, Milei turned the health emergency into a political issue by accusing the Kirchnerist movement of having "covered up" for the laboratory's owners for years.
Kirchnerism is a left-wing populist movement that blends Peronist nationalism with progressive social policies, economic interventionism and an emphasis on human rights
"This is a longtime partner of the previous regime. We will not allow impunity," Milei said. He also warned that his government will seek the recusal of the federal judge handling the case if the businessman is not immediately taken into custody.
The National Administration of Drugs, Food and Medical Technology said it had revoked the laboratory's authorization in February, but acknowledged there were failures in subsequent distribution controls.
So far, 24 people linked to the production and distribution of fentanyl have been identified as suspects in the court case. All are barred from leaving the country and have had their assets seized, though no formal charges have been filed.
At the same time, the victims' families are demanding justice. Patient organizations and health professionals have called for urgent reforms to the drug tracking system and a full audit of the health system's operations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
In a press release, HLB Pharma Group said it is "at the disposal of the courts" and accused political and economic sectors of "opportunism" in carrying out a "media smear campaign" against the company.
The company also said that "contamination such as that reported by some media -- involving one or more multidrug-resistant bacteria typically found in a hospital setting in the same batch -- is simply not possible in a laboratory setting."
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