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Health

Contact Wearers Beware of Eyeball-Eating Amoeba

Sep. 7, 2012 3:06pm Liz Klimas

U.K. Doctors Warn of Acanthamoeba Infecting Leading to Blindness in Contact Lens Wearers

(Image: Shutterstock.com)

An acanthamoeba may not be a term you’re likely to hear at the optometrist while being outfitted for a new prescription for contacts, but it’s a good reason to heed their warnings about proper contact lens care.

The acanthamoeba is a microorganism found to essentially crawl through the eye’s cornea causing not only pain but also potentially permanent blindness. The United Kindgom’s Press Association recently reported though incidence if the infection is rare — only about 75 people of the 3.7 million contact lens wears in the U.K. are treated each year — it’s still worth being aware of how to best avoid contracting it.

The UKPA states that the parasite, which burrows into the eye, can be picked up from a dirty case or from rinsing lenses in tap, river, pond or lake water. It also notes the condition, Acanthamoeba keratitis, is often misdiagnosed. Once contracted, treatment includes a hospital stay with “round-the-clock administration of disinfecting eye drops,” UKPA states. If the infection is bad enough, the cornea could need to be replaced or blindness could also result.

With more than 125 million contact lens wearers worldwide, UKPA reports University of West Scotland’s Dr. Fiona Henriquez saying it’s a problem facing every single one of them. Live Science points to a 2009 CDC report that found incidence of the amoeba in the U.S. is one to two cases for every million contact wears of which there are about 36 million in the country.

“There are no effective drug treatments. The drugs used are often ineffective and its a very brutal regime. It requires hospitalisation and topical applications of a toxic substance to the eye. We’re trying to improve the elimination of this parasite and prevent blindness,” Henriquez said.

The warning of this amoeba was issued at the British Science Festival at the University of Aberdeen where single-use contacts that were disposed of each day were recommended as the safest option.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that almost everyone will be exposed to these types of amoebas in their lifetime — they can also enter through cuts or be inhaled into the lungs — but few become sick. This infection in the eye is one of three diseases acanthamoeba can cause.

(H/T: CBS Local DC)

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Comments (34)

meginiowa
Posted on September 9, 2012 at 2:44pm
All the editors are dead: Castro has a brutal regime. The treatment is a brutal REGIMEN.

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davenetdog
Posted on September 8, 2012 at 6:39pm
Its all Obama’s fault.

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najahaje
Posted on September 8, 2012 at 9:34am
I knew a woman many years ago that had this. She ended up having to have a cornea transplant.

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FredSturgly
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 8:41pm
Obama supporters don’t care that he did the same things they hated Bush for doing

http://danfromsquirrelhill.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/obama-supporters-dont-care-that-he-did-the-same-things-they-hated-bush-for-doing/

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- burned at edges
  Posted on September 8, 2012 at 9:44am
  did you notice that amoeba is an anagram for plural obama? (more than one for the dem lurkers).
  
  obamae?
  
  Report this comment
repairsea
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 7:04pm
Welcome third world medical problems. How is your Utopia working for you?

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suz
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 6:22pm
why are we just hearing about this now?

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loveoursoldiers
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 6:21pm
I demand that taxpayers pay for my contact lense solution. It is my right as a woman. The conservatives want all women to be blinded by eyeball eating amoebas.

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lylee
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 5:47pm
like AIDS this is easily preventable. Don’t use tap water on your contact lens case for your contact lenses! Don’t swim in your contact lenses! Disinfect as instructed! No charge for this advice.

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- lylee
  Posted on September 7, 2012 at 5:53pm
  Don’t use tap water on your contact lens case OR your contact lenses! sorry for the typo
  
  Report this comment
- loriann12
  Posted on September 8, 2012 at 7:22am
  tap water on the lenses? That’s why they sell contact solution. I wore contacts for YEARS, first gas permeable that I had to remove every night, then ones that were not REALLY approved for wearing for a week, then the only ones that WERE approved for wearing for a week. I washed my case out with tap water, but then followed with the solution I used to wash the lenses. OK, a couple times early on I would lick them and put them back in, I know, gross, but I was drunk and the alcohol probably killed anything.
  
  Report this comment
Mr.Fitnah
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 5:15pm
The only good amoeba is a dead amoeba.

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AllAmericanGirl22
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 4:33pm
Great, something else to worry about…

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LeadNotFollow
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 4:16pm
…
Nearly half a million people in the World die from the FLU every year, so the handful of people who get eyeball bugs, does not scare me. If it concerns you, then quit wearing contacts.

I wish the solution was that easy with the FLU. How do we stop people with the FLU from going out among the public and spreading their deadly germs to others? Stay home you idiots!

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G.E.R
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 4:10pm
The only eyeball-eating amoeba is Glenn beck
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blackyb
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 3:38pm
Obama built that.

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- FREEDOMoverFEAR
  Posted on September 7, 2012 at 3:51pm
  Hhahahhahaha hahhahahaha
  
  Report this comment
- RightUnite
  Posted on September 7, 2012 at 3:53pm
  I’m sure your right.
  
  Report this comment
- BloodSweatandTears
  Posted on September 7, 2012 at 4:10pm
  The Recovery: Oblamo built that too….
  
  Report this comment
- Bill M.
  Posted on September 7, 2012 at 5:31pm
  Obama didn’t build that, it’s Bush’s fault.
  
  Report this comment
IMCHRISTIAN
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 3:33pm
Must be some new problem or the people wearing them weren’t very sanitary. I wore contacts for over 20 years and no problems.

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JACKTHETOAD
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 3:20pm
Here they come. Hanta, these guys, inside-out ebola, real ebola, recently surfaced genetic disorders…
Don’t say you weren’t warned sinners! The Truth lives here. And it’s not pretty. Oh, I almost forgot the Mosquito Squadron loaded with West Nile bombs. Moohaha.

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- Walkabout
  Posted on September 7, 2012 at 4:09pm
  No not really.
  
  If we don’t have as much warfare, then I suspect that we will see a rise in genetic disorders. Good eye sight, strength & agility being necessary for fighting. Also intelligence & group cohesiveness are too. Although there are many ways to determine fitness such as sports , academics, dancing (all the usual ways). Poorly designed welfare programs Welfare throws away some of that. If we more like Europe we would have workfare.
  
  The Ebola (or others) part I believe because of increased intercontinental jet travel & lax immigration laws. Big problems: drug resistant pneumonia, West Nile, new strains of Hanta Virus. The cause: lack of immigration controls, drug users & AIDS.
  
  We have always has things like Hanta Virus & mosquito born encephalitus (St Louis encephalitus). But they were local strains it appears. It is much worse when you get several strains for different parts of the world.
  
  Report this comment
sparkyrules
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 3:19pm
Dammit..I hate these stories..$497 dollars later!But here’s the trick….99% rubbing alcohol mixed with water.1 part alcohol and 3 parts water.Germs be gone.SEE CLEARLY

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- Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
  Posted on September 7, 2012 at 4:18pm
  A drop of lemon juice also helps them smell fresh and lovely.
  
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- tkelly33
  Posted on September 7, 2012 at 4:29pm
  MORON – recommends home-brewed disinfection for contacts
  
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- sparkyrules
  Posted on September 7, 2012 at 4:38pm
  TKELLY33 ..what? Home ‘brew’ works every time.What will you when the sheet hits the fan?Go to Walgreens?NO.It’ll be closed for business.Think ahead.
  
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- KingCoal59
  Posted on September 7, 2012 at 11:26pm
  They say wash your hands prior to insertion of contacts, you wash your hands with tap water. They say you can get this from the shower, you could get this then even if you don’t have contacts.why do we pay to buy city water it’s supposed to be treated. Why doesn’t the treatment kill the amoeba? What else doesn’t the treatment kill? So now we shouldn’t shower or wear contacts? This is a silly useless report designed to make us afraid to live.
  
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- tkelly33
  Posted on September 8, 2012 at 9:10am
  There is NO effective ‘home-brew’ contact lens disinfection. Only idiots believe they can make equivalent disinfection solutions at home. IDIOTS bent on skimping a few pennies on contact lenses to spend on their $100 a month smartphone plan. Think ahead – yep, BUY TWO BOTTLES you idiots.
  
  As for the morons ridiculing washing your hands before handling contacts – its to remove the vast majority of the OTHER pathogens that come in contact with your hands.
  
  It never ceases to astound the quantity of IDIOTS out there.
  
  Report this comment
Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 3:14pm
Obviously created by the Lazic cabal led by the UN IMF. They are forcing everyone to get Lazer Eye Surgery and implant everyone with a number. That way, all they will have to do is eye scan everyone to keep track of them. At least that is what I heard on Alex Jones, it makes me glad I wear Glasses.

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- FREEDOMoverFEAR
  Posted on September 7, 2012 at 3:52pm
  I wear glasses too…But when there’s trouble and I’m needed, I wear a cape!
  
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LLATPOH
Posted on September 7, 2012 at 3:12pm
Wonder if we should just “take a pain pill.”

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- single stack
  Posted on September 7, 2012 at 5:09pm
  The blue one or the red one?
  
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- Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
  Posted on September 7, 2012 at 6:34pm
  The supositories.
  
  Report this comment

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