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A group of ophthalmologists recently identified an epidemic of Acanthamoeba keratitis, a bad amoebic infection that can cause painful cysts and possibly blindness. To avoid this, contact carriers should probably change their morning routine, suggest the doctors in an article published in the newspaper. British Journal of Ophthalmology.
Acanthamoeba keratitis is a rare infection due to exposure to Acanthamoeba – a microorganism that can survive between contact lenses and the eye, forming painful cysts. In about a quarter of Acanthamoeba In some cases, patients lose up to 25% of their vision or are completely blind, says study co-author, John Dart, MD, of Moorfields Eye Hospital in the UK.
"It's rare, but it's a crappy disease," says Dart. reverse. "In just 12 months, we healed 70% using the best treatments available. This is one of the worst eye diseases and affects all young people. It's painful. "
The data collected in the new document show that the number of infected patients in Moorfields has almost doubled in recent years: in 2011, 36 cases were reported, but in 2013 this number had risen to 65. Elsewhere in London others also:
"We have some sort of group of people here and an email said," We think we have a problem. " When we started to look at our own numbers, we realized that there was indeed an epidemic, "he says.
In England, these amoebae tend to grow in water tanks, hot tubs and pools, virtually anywhere a biofilm – a viscous colony of co-occurring bacteria – can adhere to a hard-to-reach pipe section. So imagine this: every morning you put your contacts and jump in the shower. When you open the faucet, you can accommodate these amoebae in your home.
"We think it's likely to be exposure to water," says Dart. To avoid contaminating your lenses, avoid washing your face or at least drying your hands before handling your lenses, says Dart. "Do not shower or go swimming or sitting in a hot tub. If that's the case, take them out and throw them away. If you do these things, we think that 90% of the cases will probably disappear.
Dart is also convinced that contact solutions touting disinfectant ingredients are far from enough to stop the spread. Most contact solutions include a Acanthamoeba– deadly ingredient, Polyhexanide (PHMB), but some bacteria and amoebae can survive this purging of PHMB.
"These disinfectants are not sterilizing agents. In a contact lens case, this bacteria can turn into a slimy layer, "he adds, adding that one or two amoebae often survive a bath with disinfectant solutions if the casing is old or already dirty.
That's why Dart and his colleagues suggest that the best way to avoid this infection is to keep your contacts waterless – or switch to daily lenses where, even if they're infected, you have them before that the amoeba have time to take root.
They have also created a "No Water Sticker" campaign which, they hope, will eventually be adopted on all contact lens packaging. While most contact lens suppliers provide inserts in their packaging that list potential risks, Dart says he would like to see the dangers of water contamination taking over.
"It's a simple sign, a tap crossed by a cross, to draw attention to the fact that they have to avoid water when they use contact lenses," he says. "That's what all the manufacturers are saying to everyone because they know about our research, but they will not do it clearly."
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