Olympus Scope Colonoscopy Infection: Symptoms, Risks & Lawsuits

Colonoscopes are medical devices used to examine the colon and large intestine. The scope is a flexible, tube-like device with a light and camera attachment. It is inserted into the body through a minor medical procedure.

Millions of colonoscopies are performed every year for screening procedures and to diagnose colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and other intestinal conditions.

The Japan-based Olympus Corporation is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of these scopes. The company sells a wide range of endoscopic devices, including colonoscopes, duodenoscopes and more.

Olympus continues to produce new scope models. In 2025, the company received approval from the Food & Drug Administration for a new generation of scopes. This generation will have extended depth-of-field technology to produce better images.

The FDA, however, has also recently imposed import bans on some older Olympus scopes due to patient safety concerns.

Colonoscopes are expensive devices that are reused across multiple procedures. This means that the same scope will be used for many different patients.

Olympus scopes undergo strict cleaning, called reprocessing, after each procedure. But there are concerns that the process has not been effective in preventing the spread of harmful bacteria.

This issue first emerged with duodenoscopes, a similar device used to examine the pancreas and bile ducts. In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the FDA determined that infections were occurring in patients after scope procedures, even when proper safety and cleaning precautions were followed.

Similar claims have since arisen for other Olympus devices, including colonoscopes. Patients who have filed lawsuits say that design defects made the scopes difficult to clean properly. This could allow some resistant bacteria to remain on the scopes and enter patients’ bodies across multiple procedures.

For example, ineffective cleaning may allow biofilm to form. This is when a group of cells and microorganisms bind together into a glue-like film across a surface. A barrier is then created that can protect dangerous bacteria from routine cleaning.

“No cleaning agent, whether chemical or heat-based, can be effective on organisms it cannot reach,” an educational document on reprocessing published by Olympus states.

That bacteria may be released into a patient’s body during a subsequent procedure, leading to infection.

It’s important to note that infections from a colonoscopy are rare. A comparative study of colonoscopy infections found that only about 1 in 1,000 people develops an infection after their procedure.

However, given how serious infections can be, knowing the signs can be helpful.

If you are experiencing severe symptoms or suspect you have an infection, be sure to speak with a doctor.

Types of Infections Linked to Colonoscopes

Several types of infections have been linked to contaminated scopes. Many of these are “superbug” infections, meaning that they are antibiotic-resistant and difficult to treat.

CRE is particularly dangerous. It can have a mortality rate as high as 50% depending on the infection’s location. In the 2010s, a Seattle hospital reported 11 patient deaths from a CRE outbreak. Around the same time, officials at a UCLA hospital attributed the deaths of two patients in a CRE outbreak to Olympus scopes.

Sepsis, organ failure and the spread of HIV have also been tied to scope-related complications, in addition to superbug infections.

The FDA has recently taken action regarding certain Olympus scopes. In June 2025, the FDA issued an import alert for dozens of different scopes produced by the company. This included specific models of endoscope cleaners (reprocessors), bronchoscopes, laparoscopes and ureterorenoscopes.

“Olympus is committed to addressing the FDA’s concerns promptly and ensuring that our products meet the highest quality standards,” the company said in a statement following the import alert. “Our highest priority is providing our customers with safe and effective solutions for patient care.”

The company has faced past scrutiny after superbug outbreaks at hospitals. In 2017, Olympus was ordered to pay $6.6 million to a Seattle hospital over a superbug outbreak. The outbreak was linked to possibly contaminated scopes.

You may be eligible to file an Olympus scope lawsuit if you had a colonoscopy and went on to develop a serious infection or injury. Lawyers are now investigating claims from people who say they experienced these issues after a scope procedure.

Families may also be eligible to file a lawsuit if a loved one died from an injury or infection. That injury must have occurred within a month of the colonoscopy.

This litigation is new and still in the early stages. There haven’t been any settlements or major verdicts yet.

A decade ago, when duodenoscope lawsuits first emerged, Olympus was ordered to pay $6.6 million over a superbug outbreak at a hospital. The company also settled claims brought by individuals.