Acanthamoeba in the eye, can the parasite hide even more? Latest developments on the disease

Acanthamoeba spp. is a free living protozoan in the environment, but can cause serious diseases. Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), a severe and painful eye infection, must be treated as soon as possible to prevent ulceration of the cornea, loss of visual acuity, and eventually blindness or enucleation. Although the disease affects principally contact lens (CLs) wearers, it is recognized nowadays as a cause of keratitis also in non-CLs wearers. Although the number of infections caused by these amoebae is low, AK is an emerging disease presenting an extended number of cases each year worldwide mostly due to the increasing use of CLs, but also to better diagnostic methods and awareness.

Source: Contact Lens and Anterior Eye - December 19, 2017 Category: Opthalmology Authors: M.M. Ju árez, L.I. Tártara, A.G. Cid, J.P. Real, J.M. Bermúdez, V.B. Rajal, S.D. Palma Tags: Review article Source Type: research