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Source: https://www.abc15.com/news/national/outbreak-of-rare-eye-infection-affecting-contacts-wearers
Outbreak of rare eye infection affecting contacts wearers in UK
CNN
8:39 AM, Sep 21, 2018
9:19 AM, Sep 21, 2018
An ongoing outbreak of a rare eye infection has been discovered in contact lens wearers in the UK, a new study reveals.
Researchers at University College London found that rates of Acanthamoeba keratitis, an infection of the cornea, have nearly tripled since 2011 in the southeast of England.
Infection with Acanthamoeba, a cyst-forming microorganism, causes an inflammation of the cornea. Symptoms include excessive pain and compromised vision.
The disease is mostly preventable, said Dr. John Dart, a consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital who led the research.
"It was clear that there is a problem," he said. "Acanthamoeba keratitis is one of the worst corneal infections."
Studies suggest that about 2 in 100,000 contact lens wearers in the UK are affected each year, aided by the way water is stored and supplied there, according to Moorfields Eye Hospital, meaning case numbers are higher in the UK than in other parts of the world...
Outbreak of rare eye infection affecting contacts wearers in UK
CNN
8:39 AM, Sep 21, 2018
9:19 AM, Sep 21, 2018
An ongoing outbreak of a rare eye infection has been discovered in contact lens wearers in the UK, a new study reveals.
Researchers at University College London found that rates of Acanthamoeba keratitis, an infection of the cornea, have nearly tripled since 2011 in the southeast of England.
Infection with Acanthamoeba, a cyst-forming microorganism, causes an inflammation of the cornea. Symptoms include excessive pain and compromised vision.
The disease is mostly preventable, said Dr. John Dart, a consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital who led the research.
"It was clear that there is a problem," he said. "Acanthamoeba keratitis is one of the worst corneal infections."
Studies suggest that about 2 in 100,000 contact lens wearers in the UK are affected each year, aided by the way water is stored and supplied there, according to Moorfields Eye Hospital, meaning case numbers are higher in the UK than in other parts of the world...