Fungal keratitis outbreak - first Asia, now US

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21 March 2006

Fungal keratitis outbreak - first Asia, now US

Author: Challinor

http://www.opticianonline.net/Articles/2006/03/21/15481/Fungal+kerati

tis+outbreak+-+first+Asia,+now+US+.html

Investigators probing the outbreak of fungal keratitis among contact

wearers in Asia are now looking into similar cases reported in the

United States.

It was last month when sales of Bausch & Lomb's ReNu multipurpose

solution were halted in Hong Kong and Singapore following the

abnormally high number of reports of fungal keratitis in the two

cities.

In an update on the unusual outbreaks of Fusarium keratitis, the

global eye care giant said it was aware of reports of cases in other

countries, including Malaysia and the United States, the former

ordering the withdrawal of ReNu from sale earlier this month.

However, this week B & L commented that initial evidence from

Singapore suggests the cause of infections is not related to a

specific lens care product.

`According to the Singapore health authorities, most of the contact

lens-related fungal keratitis infections in that country involved

patients with histories of poor contact lens care practices,' said a

B & L spokeswoman, adding that the company is implementing consumer

education programmes to raise public awareness of the importance of

good hygiene and proper lens care.

`As the normal incidence rate of these infections in many markets is

not well-understood, the company is working with health authorities

to improve reporting of cases, and has contacted corneal specialists

and treatment centres throughout the world to assess whether there

are unusual trends in any other regions.'

Laboratories in Singapore, Hong Kong and the US are culturing

clinical isolates of Fusarium from patient samples to identify the

genetic make-up of the organisms, and to determine whether they are

different from the strain used in industry-wide standard biocidal

efficacy testing. In addition, the clinical isolates will be used to

conduct biocidal efficacy testing with all the leading brands of

lens care products.

B & L is collaborating with the Singapore National Eye Centre, which

is conducting a case control study to assess whether any common

factors, beyond contact lens wear, existed among the patients with

infections.

The company also is working with the US Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention to investigate and track the incidence of these

infections around the world, and has asked the famed Wilmer Eye

Institute at s Hopkins University to implement a surveillance

program in leading corneal treatment centres throughout the United

States.