A new study has revealed an outbreak of a previously-rare eye infection in UK contact lens wearers.
Acanthamoeba keratitis is one of the worst corneal infections
Research from University College London has discovered that Acanthamoeba keratitis —infections of the cornea — have tripled in the UK since 2011.
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Acanthamoeba is a cyst-forming micro-organism that causes an incredibly painful inflammation of the cornea. Symptoms include impaired vision, severe headaches, sensitivity to light and heightened eye pain. Worryingly, only 70 per cent of patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis are cured within a year and some require cornea transplants, or a corneal graft — a complicated surgical procedure replacing a damaged or diseased cornea with donated corneal tissue. That said, Acanthamoeba keratitis is preventable.
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“It was clear that there is a problem,” said research lead Dr. John Dart, a consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital. “Acanthamoeba keratitis is one of the worst corneal infections.”
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Acanthamoeba keratitis is caused by a microscopic organism called Acanthamoeba usually found in bodies of water that can cause serious eye disease if they infect the cornea, with 85 per cent of cases occurring in contact lens wearers due to lens hygiene.
Dr. Dart’s team analysed data collected by Moorfields Eye Hospital, finding an average of 50.3 cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis between 2011 and 2016, a 94 per cent difference from the 18.5 cases found over previous years. In the most severe cases, a 75 per cent loss of vision occurs from scarring of the cornea, with around a quarter of patients needing corneal transplants.
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Dr. Dart advises contact users to buy daily disposable contact lenses, or be certain that contact lenses and containers are not contaminated by tap water.
