Where Did the Fungus Come From?
The complete report, published in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, provides further details of the link between a rare type of eye infection and the contact lens solution. Fusarium is a fungus found in soil and plants. Beginning in March 2006, the CDC began to receive multiple reports of corneal infections caused by this fungus among contact lens wearers. The condition is a serious complication that can lead to permanent vision loss or the need for a corneal transplantation. The cornea is the clear, thin layer of tissue that covers the iris (the colored part of the eye) and the pupil. Overall, the study showed that 34% of the 164 corneal infection cases reported required corneal transplantation. Researchers say it’s still not clear what exactly caused the eye infections to develop. Testing of the factory where the contact lens solution is produced did not show evidence of the fungus. The problem was likely due to outside contamination that did not occur during the
