Beware of Contact Lens Fungal Infection - Fusarium Keratitis
A rare type of fungal eye infection may be on the rise among South Florida (and around the world) contact lens wearers. Doctors do not know why, but for now the number of people infected remains low.
In the past three months, doctors at the University of Miami's Bascom Palmer Eye Institute have found fusarium fungus infections in the corneas of 12 people who wear soft contact lenses, said Dr. Eduardo Alfonso, a professor of ophthalmology at UM.
Doctors in Singapore and Malaysia have also noted an uptick in cases, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received reports of 30 cases from 12 U.S. states since September 2005, said CDC spokeswoman Christine Pearson.
Alfonso said he has seen people in recent weeks who are likely to suffer permanent damage from the infection. He performed an emergency cornea transplant Wednesday night on a woman whose eye had been severely damaged by the fungus.
Fusarium is a common fungus that lives on plants in warm climates. Before the recent surge in contact lens-related cases, Fusarium keratitis was typically associated with being poked in the eye by a plant that carried the fungus.
Filed under Contact Lens, Eye Treatment
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April 13th, 2006 at 6:33 am
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May 7th, 2006 at 3:50 am
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