10
University Daily Kansan
Campus/Area
Wednesday, July 16, 1986
Cause of eye disease linked to tainted contact solution
By Rachelle Worrall
Staff writer
Contaminated contact-lens solutions may cause a serious eye infection in contact-lens wearers, according to the FDA's Disease Control in Atlanta, Ga.
People should know about the disease, acanthamoeba keratitis, but the information isn't meant to scare the public. Dr. Govinda Vasvesvara said yesterday from Atlanta.
There have been 24 confirmed cases in 14 states in the last nine months, and 20 of the cases involved lens wearers. An additional 16 cases have been reported, but are still unconfirmed, said Vivesaraev. There have been no reports of the disease in Lawrence.
The infection is caused by an anmoeba found in the air, water and ground. Vissareva said one theory was that the anmoeba were present in contact lens solutions and then became attached to the contacts.
"The anmoebe may have hitched a bite on the contacts" he said.
The parasite probably enters the body from a break in the tissue, he said. It's not just a matter of being exposed to the parasite.
In at least 50 percent of the cases, homemade solutions were used, he said. The amoebae have been found in distilled water, hot taps and tap water. The amoebae are difficult to kill by freezing or suffocation. Heating kills them better than chemicals.
Twelve of the 24 infections diagnosed at the disease center led to corneal
transplants, and two people had their infected eyes removed.
The disease is difficult to diagnose and is often first diagnosed as an eye infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. Symptoms are pain, swollen ocular inflammation in the eye. Seemless times watering eyes, Vesvara said.
"It has the potential to be dangerous, but it is a rare disease," he said.
There are an estimated 18 million contact lens wearers in the United States, and 65 to 70 percent of them are soft contact lens wearers. Dr. Arthur Giroux said from the U.S. Department of Health Association in Washington, D.C.
Of the 20 cases where the individual wore contacts, one wore hard contacts, one gas-pumped contact, and 14 daily wear soft lenses, Vaselvesa said.
"I don't think it's something to be highly concerned about." It is a serious disease for those individuals unfortunate enough to have it."
"We are discouraging the use of homemade contact lens solutions."
For those who got the disease while wearing contacts, Giroux said, "Every single case can be traced to some extent to contact lens solution.
Vissereswa said the best prevention is to follow directions given by optometrists for handling contacts. It's unknown what would happen if
It's unknown what would happen if the disease were left untreated
the disease were left untreated.
"I left untreated, in possibly
my gradually go away or,
maybe severe problems." Gruxus said.
Kool Kids
Asa Collier, 10,and his brother Julian Martin, 11 months, sons of Pat Norman, 1713 Louisiana St., tried to sell Kool-Aid, but ended up drink- ing most of it themselves. The two were in business yesterday afternoon.
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