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Government officials are warning people to throw away a contact lens solution after an investigation linked it to a rare eye infection.
The warning concerns AMO Complete Moisture Plus Multi-Purpose Solution, used for cleaning and storing soft contact lenses, said a spokeswoman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The solution seems to be a factor cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis, a painful eye infection that can lead to permanent vision loss or blindness.
The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating 138 confirmed cases.
The solution is made by Advanced Medical Optics Inc., a publicly traded company based in Santa Ana, Calif. The company issued a statement Friday night saying it was "immediately and voluntarily recalling" the solution.
"There is no evidence to suggest that today's voluntary recall is related to a product contamination issue and this does not impact any of AMO's other contact lens care products," the statement said.
The confirmed infections have been reported since January 2005, the company said.
CDC officials said people should discard the solution, throw out their current contact lenses and toss the lens storage case. All of them may harbor the infecting amoeba, said Michael Beach, team leader in the CDC's division of parasitic diseases.
An estimated 85 percent of U.S. cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis occur in contact lens users, but it's extremely unusual the estimated prevalence is one to two cases per 1 million contact lens wearers. Contact lens wearers who practice proper lens care and people who don't wear contact lenses can still develop the infection.
It's hard to diagnose and treat and some of the drugs used to fight the infection are available only overseas or from compounding pharmacies.
More at link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070526/ap_on_he_me/eye_infection_6&printer=1
The warning concerns AMO Complete Moisture Plus Multi-Purpose Solution, used for cleaning and storing soft contact lenses, said a spokeswoman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The solution seems to be a factor cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis, a painful eye infection that can lead to permanent vision loss or blindness.
The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating 138 confirmed cases.
The solution is made by Advanced Medical Optics Inc., a publicly traded company based in Santa Ana, Calif. The company issued a statement Friday night saying it was "immediately and voluntarily recalling" the solution.
"There is no evidence to suggest that today's voluntary recall is related to a product contamination issue and this does not impact any of AMO's other contact lens care products," the statement said.
The confirmed infections have been reported since January 2005, the company said.
CDC officials said people should discard the solution, throw out their current contact lenses and toss the lens storage case. All of them may harbor the infecting amoeba, said Michael Beach, team leader in the CDC's division of parasitic diseases.
An estimated 85 percent of U.S. cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis occur in contact lens users, but it's extremely unusual the estimated prevalence is one to two cases per 1 million contact lens wearers. Contact lens wearers who practice proper lens care and people who don't wear contact lenses can still develop the infection.
It's hard to diagnose and treat and some of the drugs used to fight the infection are available only overseas or from compounding pharmacies.
More at link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070526/ap_on_he_me/eye_infection_6&printer=1
