|
Causes
Fusarium are commonly found in soil, in water, and on plants throughout the world, particularly in warmer climates. Past studies of Fusarium keratitis have found that most incidences of Fusarium keratitis have been caused by an eye injury with vegetative matter, for example getting hit in the eye with a palm branch. However, recently a number of individuals have contracted Fusarium keratitis from contact lens wear especially the use of the Bausch & Lomb ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution. This number is generally very small, particularly in the northern part of the United States.
An estimated 30 million persons in the United States wear soft contact lenses; the annual incidence of microbial keratitis is estimated to be 4 to 21 per 10,000 soft contact lens users, depending on whether users wear lenses overnight. ReNu with MoistureLoc Causing Fusarium Keratitis On March 8, 2006, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received a report from an ophthalmologist in New Jersey regarding three patients with contact lens-associated Fusarium keratitis during recent months. Initial contact with several corneal disease specialty centers in the United States revealed that other centers also had seen recent increases in Fusarium keratitis. The CDC began an investigation of the Fusarium keratitis outbreak. As of May 19, there were 130 confirmed cases of Fusarium keratitis. Over 60% of the people with confirmed Fusarium keratitis had used ReNu with MoistureLoc, a Bausch & Lomb contact lens solution and 37 of these cases resulted in cornea transplant surgery.
On May 15, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the recall of ReNu with MoistureLoc by Bausch & Lomb.
According to Bausch & Lomb, "unique characteristics of the formulation of the ReNu with MoistureLoc product in certain unusual circumstances can increase the risk of Fusarium infection."
|
