A rare but serious eye infection that affects the cornea (clear outer covering of the eye).
A single cell organism called amoeba enters your eye and eats through the layers of your cornea.
It destroys tissue as it moves through your eye.
It can also invade the eye by entering through small corneal abrasions (scratches) and/or corneal injury.
It can take several days to several weeks (as the amoeba can lie dormant in a cyst from and survive for a long period of time) for symptoms to show up after the acanthamoeba enters your eye.
This condition can easily be mistaken for other eye infections (May be a long history and condition may be misdiagnosed as i.e.
This condition can lead to lead to eye pain, permanent vision loss or even total blindness.
This condition is not a bacterial infection so antibiotics will not work. Urgent diagnosis required by an optometrist or eye specialist. Treatment can take time to work, due to its resistance to many forms of therapy.
From fresh water, such as tap water, swimming pools, hot tubs, showers and sewage systems.
Poor hygiene of contact lens (Majority are soft lenses (particularly reusable or extended wear) , one is at greater risk of this condition if one:
Clean your contact lenses with tap water or saline instead of disinfectant solution.
Come into contact with water that contains the amoeba (contamination of storage case with bacteria and fungi (± biofilm) which provide substrate for Acanthamoebae)
Don’t store and handle your contact lenses properly.
Have had past damage to your cornea.
Swim, shower or use a hot tub while wearing contact lenses
Avoiding contact with contaminated water, which could include freshwater lakes, rivers and hot springs.
Contact lens wearers:
Filling your contact lens storage case with fresh solution each time you open it.
Never sleeping in your contact lenses.
Not showering, swimming or using a hot tub while wearing contact lenses.
Not using another person’s contact lenses.
Replacing contact lenses regularly, according to your healthcare provider’s recommendations.
Using only disinfecting solution (not saline solution) to rinse and store your contact lenses — never use tap water.
Visiting your optometrist or ophthalmologist for regular exams.
Washing your hands before touching your eyes or handling your contact lenses
Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist/Optometrist) for further advice
Detailed Information
Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Acanthamoeba Keratitis in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).
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American Academy of Ophthalmology. Multiple pages researched for this article. Corneal Transplant Surgery Options. (https://www.aao.org/eye-health/treatments/corneal-transplant-surgery-options) Accessed 11/9/2021.
American Optometric Association. Acanthamoeba. (https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/acanthamoeba?sso=y) Accessed 11/9/2021.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Multiple pages researched for this article. Acanthamoeba Keratitis Fact Sheet for Healthcare Professionals. (https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/acanthamoeba/health_professionals/acanthamoeba_keratitis_hcp.html) Accessed 11/9/2021.
Scruggs BA, Quist TS, Salinas JL, Greiner MA. Notes from the Field: Acanthamoeba Keratitis Cases — Iowa (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6819a6.htm) , 2002–2017. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). 2019 May;68(19):448-449. Accessed 11/9/2021.
Szentmáry N, Daas L, Shi L, Laurik KL, Lepper S, Milioti G, Seitz B. Acanthamoeba keratitis – Clinical signs, differential diagnosis and treatment. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6407156/) Journal of Current Ophthalmology. 2019 March;31(1):16-23. Accessed 11/9/2021.
