Acanthamoeba infections of the eye are very tough to treat and can lead to cornea transplants. The infection is also tough to detect, as it presents like common irritation. There are some topical medications that are specially formulated by pharmacies — one uses a form of swimming pool cleaner — but the infection becomes harder to fight topically as the amoeba drives into cornea.

“It’s a devastating type of infection,” said Thomas Steinemann, a professor at Case Western Reserve University and staff ophthalmologist at Metro Health in Cleveland, in a recent interview. “It’s a major problem to eradicate.”

Learn More About — Acanthamoeba Keratitis

U.S. health investigators have linked a contact-lens solution made by Advanced Medical Optics to the outbreak of a rare but serious eye infection that can cause blindness.

Advanced Medical Optics Inc., a California company, recalled its Complete MoisturePlus, a contact-lens cleaning solution, after an investigation sparked by the Chicago team found the solution was used by almost 60% of people suffering from a rare outbreak of infections by a microbe known as Acanthamoeba.

The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t require contact-lens solutions to kill amoebas, and they have never done so very successfully. Earlier this year, an Ohio State University team published research on how amoebas survived in three different cleaning solutions — from Bausch & Lomb Inc., Advanced Medical and Alcon Inc. After six hours of soaking, almost all of the strains of Acanthamoeba continued to grow in all three products.

Do I have an Acanthamoeba Keraitis Lawsuit?

If you or a loved one have developed a corneal infection (keratitis) while using any multi-purpose contact lens solution, you should contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation.

Click Here: Free Confidential Case Evaluation - AMO Complete MoisturePlus Recall

Learn More About: Acanthamoeba Keratitis

Source | Wall Street Journal

U.S. health investigators have linked a contact lens solution made by Advanced Medical Optics Inc. to the outbreak of a rare but serious eye infection that can cause blindness.

The news comes just a day after Advanced Medical Optics said it’s interested in exploring an offer for rival Bausch & Lomb Inc., which was hurt from the world-wide recall of a lens solution last year amid links to a different infection. The Advanced Medical Optics product at issue is called Complete MoisturePlus, one of several all-in-one-bottle solutions on the market.

As of Thursday, in a probe that includes 35 states and Puerto Rico, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 138 “culture-confirmed” cases and has interviewed 46 patients.

Research shows 36 of those people wore soft contact lenses, 21 reported using the Advanced Medical Optics product a month before symptoms, and 14 used it exclusively. That was enough of a link to a product with limited market share to spark a public announcement, said Sharon Roy, medical epidemiologist with the CDC’s division of parasitic diseases.

“We felt we couldn’t wait,” she said in an interview late Friday. “We are recommending that people stop using this product and discard it” along with their lens case and current pair of contact lenses, she said. A spokeswoman from Advanced Medical Optics said the company had just learned about the issue Friday and is preparing a statement.

Eye infections from Acanthamoeba typically occur in contact lens wearers but are extremely rare, appearing on average in just one or two cases per million lens wearers per year. However, various eye-care centers around the U.S. have been tracking increased cases of the infection over the last three years.

The CDC’s interest in the recent outbreak was prompted by research done in the Chicago area at the University of Illinois at Chicago, led by Charlotte Joslin and Elmer Tu. They have tracked 67 cases of the outbreak in the Chicago area since June 2003, and had a paper on the matter accepted Friday for future publication in the American Journal of Ophthalmology. Ms. Joslin and Mr. Tu are both professors of ophthalmology at UIC.

According to Ms. Joslin, who is familiar with the CDC’s plans and research, the agency was expected to announce details regarding the infections and connections to the Advanced Medical Optics solution on Friday. The findings are very similar to what the UIC study uncovered in the Chicago area — in 55% of 38 cases where researchers had complete data, the Advanced Medical Optics solution was at issue, Ms. Joslin said of the local study.

That compares with the product’s approximate 10% market share, she said. Of all the risk factors researchers considers, “that’s the only one that’s statistically significant,” she said, although other factors like poor hygiene did stand out.

Other lens solutions were also used among infected people, but their usage was not considered statistically significant, Ms. Joslin said.

The product in question posted U.S. sales of $12.6 million in the first quarter, compared with overall company sales of $251.7 million.

Bausch & Lomb announced an agreement with private equity firm Warburg Pincus last week to be acquired for $3.67 billion, or $65 a share, but left the door open for competing bids. Advanced Medical Optics entered the fray on Thursday by saying it’s interested in exploring an offer.

Shares of Advanced Medical Optics were lower in after-hours trading after falling 2.2% to $40.20 during Friday’s regular trading session. Shares fell 3.2% on Thursday after the company announced interest in Bausch & Lomb.
Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, N.Y., completely pulled its ReNu with MoistureLoc lens solution from the world-wide market a year ago after it was associated with a fungal infection.

Hard To Treat

Acanthamoeba infections of the eye are very tough to treat and can lead to cornea transplants. The infection is also tough to detect, as it presents like common irritation. There are some topical medications that are specially formulated by pharmacies — one uses a form of swimming pool cleaner — but the infection becomes harder to fight topically as the amoeba drives into cornea.

“It’s a devastating type of infection,” said Thomas Steinemann, a professor at Case Western Reserve University and staff ophthalmologist at Metro Health in Cleveland, in a recent interview. “It’s a major problem to eradicate.”
Ms. Joslin, Mr. Tu and researchers at UIC have theorized that infection increases are linked to changing standards, under a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandate, to get certain harmful chemicals out of the water supply.
Amid the water connection, brought up in research by UIC last year, doctors have been stressing to avoid showering in contacts. They also advise against sleeping in them, even though some lenses have U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for overnight wear.

Eye doctors have generally been concerned that bad hygienic habits among the 36 million U.S. contact lens wearers are increasing infection risks, an issue amplified by the Bausch & Lomb product trouble last year, when poor lens-care habits were seen as a factor. Bad habits range from dirty lens cases to licking lenses to moisturize them and leaving bottles uncapped.

Even though multipurpose solutions like Complete MoisturePlus advertise “no rub” cleaning capability with FDA approval, doctors tend to advise patients to still rub their lenses clean. Such solutions have risen in popularity, but some doctors have questioned whether older cleaners like hydrogen peroxide are better defenders against this infection.

U.S. health investigators have linked a contact-lens solution made by Advanced Medical Optics to the outbreak of a rare but serious eye infection that can cause blindness.

Do I have an Acanthamoeba Keraitis Lawsuit?

If you or a loved one have developed a corneal infection (keratitis) while using any multi-purpose contact lens solution, you should contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation.

Acanthamoeba Keraitis Lawsuit

Complete MoisturePlus Recall Lawsuit 

Two species of Acanthamoeba are most frequently diagnosed from eye infections: Acanthamoeba castellanii and Acanthamoeba polyphaga. Although Acanthamoeba species are common in the environment, the incidence of Acanthamoeba keratitis remains relatively rare, although studies suggest that infection may be more prevalent than suspected.

With the recent recall of Advanced Medical Optics Complete MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose Solution and the studies released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, we may begin to see the incidence of Acanthamoeba Keraitis begin to rise.

The abandonment of home-prepared saline and the widespread availability of multipurpose disinfecting solutions such as ReNu with MoistureLoc (Bausch & Lomb), Opti-free Express (Alcon), Solo-care Plus (Ciba Vision), and Complete MoisturePlusTM (Advanced Medical Options) may be a potential source of lens case and contact lens contamination of the Acanthamoeba species.

Do I have an Acanthamoeba Keraitis Lawsuit?

If you or a loved one have developed a corneal infection (keratitis) while using any multi-purpose contact lens solution, you should contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation.

Learn More: Acanthamoeba Keraitis Lawsuit

If you are a contact lens consumer and follow the below listed guidelines, you will reduce your risk of developing an Acanthamoeba Keratitis eye infection.  The following guidelines were supplied to us by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The CDC suggests:

• See your eye care professional for regular eye examinations.
• Wear and replace contact lenses according to the schedule prescribed by your eye care professional.
• Remove contact lenses before any activity involving contact with water, including showering, using a hot tub, or swimming.
• Wash hands with soap and water and dry before handling contact lenses.
• Clean contact lenses according to the manufacturer’s guidelines and instructions from your eye care professional.
  1. Use fresh cleaning or disinfecting solution each time lenses are cleaned and stored. Never reuse or top off old solution.
  2. Never use saline solution and rewetting drops to disinfect lenses. Neither solution is an effective or approved disinfectant.
• Store reusable lenses in the proper storage case.
  1. Storage cases should be rinsed with sterile contact lens solution (never use tap water) and left open to dry after each use. 
  2. Replace storage cases at least once every three months.

An Acanthamoeba Keratitis outbreak has been linked to the use of Complete® MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose Solution …

Learn more about the Complete® MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose Solution Recall

Getting an early diagnosis of Acanthamoeba Keratitis is essential for effective treatment of the eye infection. There are several prescription medications (eye drops) that are available for the treatment of an Acanthamoeba Keratitis eye infection. You need to remember however that this type of eye infection can and often will be difficult to treat.

If you feel that you may have developed Acanthamoeba Keratitis you should seek professional medical attention immediately. If left untreated, these infections could lead to blindness, vision loss or other serious side effects.

Do I Have an Acanthamoeba Keratitis Lawsuit?

If you or a loved one have used Complete MoisturePLUS Multi-Purpose Solution and developed an eye infection such as Acanthamoeba Keratitis, you should also contact us immediately. The AMO contact lens solution has been linked to an outbreak of Acanthamoeba Keratitis eye infections. You may be entitled to compensation and we can help.

Learn More: AMO Complete MoisturePLUS Multi-Purpose Solution Recall

Early diagnosis of Acanthamoeba Keratitis is essential for effective treatment of the eye infection. Acanthamoeba Keratitis is usually diagnosed by a qualified medical professional such as an eye specialist based on symptoms.  The eye specialist will diagnose by observing the growth of the ameba (this is what causes the infection) from taking a scrape sampling of the eye, and/or by seeing the ameba by a process called confocal microscopy.

Have you or a loved one used Complete MoisturePLUS Multi-Purpose Solution and since developed Acanthamoeba Keratitis?

If so, you may be entitled to compensation.  Learn more: Acanthamoeba Keratitis & AMO Recall Lawsuit

The symptoms associated with Acanthamoeba Keratitis will generally vary quite drastically from person to person. Usually however, individuals with the eye infection will complain of the following symptoms:

• Eye pain
• Eye redness
• Blurred vision
• Sensitivity to light
• Sensation of something in the eye
• Excessive tearing  

The similarities between the symptoms associated with Acanthamoeba Keratitis and other eye infections are generally the same.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that getting an early diagnosis is essential for the effective treatment of an Acanthamoeba Keratitis eye infection.

Do I Have an Acanthamoeba Keratitis Lawsuit?

If you feel that you may have developed Acanthamoeba Keratitis you should seek professional medical attention immediately. If left untreated, these infections could lead to blindness, vision loss or other serious side effects.

If you or a loved one have used Complete MoisturePLUS Multi-Purpose Solution and developed an eye infection such as Acanthamoeba Keratitis, you should also contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation and we can help.

Read More: AMO Recall Lawsuit

Acanthamoeba Keratitis will generally affect healthy people, most of whom wear contact lenses (not required).

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States, an estimated 85% of cases occur in contact lens users. The incidence of the disease in the U.S. is approximately one to two cases per million contact lens users.

The following practices should assist you in safeguarding yourself from the Acanthamoeba Keratitis eye infection:

• Proper storage and handling of contact lenses
• Proper disinfection of lenses (Do not use tap water or homemade solutions to clean the lenses)
• Do not swim, use a hot tub, or shower while wearing contact lenses
• Avoid coming into contact with contaminated water

UPDATE: The use of certian contact lens solutions has been linked to the development of Acanthamoeba Keratitis.  On May 26, 2007, Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) in association with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) voluntarily recalled its popular its Complete® MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose Solution.

Complete® MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose Solution has been linked to an outbreak of Acanthamoeba Keratitis.  Learn more and see if you qualify to participate in an Acanthamoeba Keratitis Lawsuit.

Acanthamoeba Keratitis is a local infection of the eye that typically occurs in healthy persons and can result in permanent visual impairment or blindness.  It is caused by a microscopic ameba that is relatively common within the natural environment.

Acanthamoeba  can be found in water (including natural and treated water in pools or hot tubs), soil, air (in association with cooling towers, heating, ventilation and air conditioner [HVAC] systems), sewage systems, and drinking water systems (shower heads, taps).

Most people will be exposed to Acanthamoeba at some point during their lifetime and most will not get sick. However, Acanthamoeba is capable of causing several infections in humans including Acanthamoeba Keratitis.

Do I Have an Acanthamoeba Keratitis Lawsuit?

If you feel that you may have developed Acanthamoeba Keratitis you should seek professional medical attention immediately. If left untreated, these infections could lead to blindness, vision loss or other serious side effects.

If you or a loved one have used Complete MoisturePLUS Multi-Purpose Solution and developed an eye infection such as Acanthamoeba Keratitis, you should also contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation and we can help.

AMO Complete MoisturePLUS Recall