Multistate Outbreak of Fusarium Keratitis Associated With Use of a Contact Lens Solution

Abstract

The findings from this investigation indicate that this outbreak of Fusarium keratitis was associated with use of ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution. Contact lens users should not use ReNu with MoistureLoc.

Phylogenetic Diversity and Microsphere Array-Based Genotyping of Human Pathogenic Fusaria, Including Isolates from the Multistate Contact Lens-Associated U.S. Keratitis Outbreaks of 2005 and 2006

“…In contrast to a phenotype-based report that members of the FOSC were the most common fusaria associated with the outbreaks in 2005 and 2006 (1), the molecular phylogenetic data presented herein and by Chang et al (5) clearly demonstrate that FSSC outbreak isolates from the United States (including Puerto Rico) collectively accounted for twice as many corneal isolates as those from the FOSC (Table 1). When this comparison was restricted to the keratitis outbreak isolates from Florida (15 corneal and 6 environmental; see Table S1 in the supplemental material), all of these isolates were identified as members of the FSSC, except for two isolates of the widespread FOSC 3-a clonal lineage (33).…”

“…Similar findings that all of the outbreak isolates of 2005 and 2006 from Singapore and Hong Kong were members of the FSSC (5,20) are consistent with the results of previous studies that have documented the predominance of FSSC fusaria in causing ocular mycoses worldwide (13,26,44). The results of Chang et al (5) and the present study, however, have established that phylogenetically diverse members of the FOSC can infect the human cornea (Table 1). This finding is one of the surprising results to emerge from the present study, in that the only comprehensive molecular phylogenetic analysis of medically important FOSC concluded that members of this complex might only rarely cause eye infections (33).…”

Fusarium Keratitis in Germany

“…In our study, species of the FSSC are the dominating etiological agents of eye infections, accounting for the vast majority of definite clinical cases. This is in line with data found in other countries, e.g., Tunisia (66% [5]), India (75.7% [24]), and Mexico (80.9% [25]), and in contact lens-associated outbreak cases in the United States (77% [12]). Only one French study reported almost equal proportions of FSSC (47%) and FOSC (41%) (15).…”

Molecular characterization, biofilm analysis and experimental biofouling study of Fusariumisolates from recent cases of fungal keratitis in New York State

“…These observations, although limited suggested that it is unlikely that common or clonal strains were the cause of the infections. This conclusion agrees with the findings of the report about the presence of multiple genotypes of F. solani and F. oxysporum in keratitis cases in contact lens wearers in the US [13]. The population make-up of a few F. solani isolates from Singapore and Hong Kong also showed mixed genotypes, albeit with one population predominating; the latter was common in both locales.…”