Potential Transmission of Acanthamoeba spp. from Contact Lens Solution and Tap Water in Jakarta, Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Acanthamoeba spp. can cause corneal infection or keratitis that can be transmitted through contamination of contact lenses and water. AIM: The objective of this study was to determine the risk factors, transmission potential of Acanthamoeba spp. from the contact lenses cleaning solutions including the household water sources to the contact lens wearers. METHODS: The study was conducted between January 2019 and May 2019. An examination of Acanthamoeba was carried out by collecting contact lenses from 53 graduate students in a college in Jakarta. Their cleaning solutions of contact lenses and household water were also obtained. Each sample was separately examined for Acanthamoeba spp. in the Parasitology Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, on page – salt agar culture. RESULTS: The findings show 2 and 3 contact lens samples positive for Acanthamoeba spp. and other free-living ameba (FLA), respectively. In addition, from the cleaning solution and tap water samples revealed, there are 5 (9.4%) and 34 (64.1%) cultures positive for Acanthamoeba spp. and other FLA, respectively. CONCLUSION: A positive sample of Acanthamoeba spp. originating from the same source of the contact lens and tap water, indicating an association of Acanthamoeba spp. from contact lenses and tap water with the cleaning solutions of the contact lenses. Thus, there is might be a risk of transmission of Acanthamoeba sp. from household water to the cleaning solutions of contact lenses.

NATURAL MEDIA VS ARTIFICIAL MEDIA FOR PRESERVATION OF AVULSED TOOTH.-Original Reaserch

Dental avulsion may be defined as the displacement of the tooth from its socket as a result of trauma. The best possible treatment for an avulsed tooth is replanting it immediately (i.e., less than five minutes). Unfortunately, and most of the times avulsed teeth experience delayed replantation. The success of delayed replantation depends on the vitality of the periodontal ligament cells remaining on the root surface. The chances of root surface damage are higher when tooth replantation is not performed immediately or if the avulsed tooth is not stored in an adequate storage medium. This invariably leads to necrosis of pulp tissue, periodontal ligament cells and thus increasing the possibility of root resorption, which is the main cause of loss of replanted teeth. Isotonic medium is superior to dry storage in the storage of avulsed tooth. Natural storage media are tap water, milk, saline, saliva, coconut water, egg white, propolis extract, green tea extract, aloe vera, pomegranate juice, red mulberry etc. Synthetic storage media are Gatorade, contact lens solution, HBSS, viaspan, emdogain, culture media etc. In this article, we are going to discuss the most suitable media for interim storage of the avulsed tooth by comparing the natural and synthetic storage media. KeyWords: preservative, media, avulsed teeth, Dental tissue

Comparison of the Antimicrobial Efficacy of Various Contact Lens Solutions to Inhibit the Growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus

Soft contact lenses provide perfect conditions for the breeding of pathogens. The study is a prospective, experimental study, conducted to know the antimicrobial ability of multipurpose contact lens solution against standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by the stand-alone test. The test method is based on the procedures in the ISO 14729 standard primary stand-alone test. Three multipurpose contact lens care solutions commercially available in Mangalore markets, namely, Biotrue (Bausch & Lomb), Opti-Free Replenish (Alcon), and Aquasoft (Stericon Pharma), were tested for its antimicrobial effect in the microbiology lab at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore. According to this study, the solutions named “Biotrue” and “Aquasoft” met the primary stand-alone and reached the 3log reduction and 5log reduction criteria in the manufacturer recommended time, respectively. No conclusion could be drawn for Opti-Free Replenish since the minimum recommended disinfection time was overnight, whereas it was noted for 6 hr only, and it should have been experimented further. The effectiveness of multipurpose solutions varies against different bacterial species. We have observed that the antimicrobial activity of different solutions varies with respect to time of incubation, and also there was a marked difference in the activity of some solutions against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. So, it is necessary for the contact lens users to store their lenses in solutions for longer duration of hours. It is also recommended to use solutions that clear the ISO 14729 standards for better health conditions of the eye.

Fusarium Keratitis in Germany

ABSTRACT Fusarium keratitis is a destructive eye infection that is difficult to treat and results in poor outcome. In tropical and subtropical areas, the infection is relatively common and associated with trauma or chronic eye diseases. However, in recent years, an increased incidence has been reported in temperate climate regions. At the German National Reference Center, we have observed a steady increase in case numbers since 2014. Here, we present the first German case series of eye infections with Fusarium species. We identified Fusarium isolates from the eye or eye-related material from 22 patients in 2014 and 2015. Thirteen isolates belonged to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC), 6 isolates belonged to the Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC), and three isolates belonged to the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC). FSSC was isolated in 13 of 15 (85%) definite infections and FOSC in 3 of 4 (75%) definite contaminations. Furthermore, diagnosis from contact lens swabs or a culture of contact lens solution turned out to be highly unreliable. FSSC isolates differed from FOSC and FFSC by a distinctly higher MIC for terbinafine. Outcome was often adverse, with 10 patients requiring keratoplasty or enucleation. The use of natamycin as the most effective agent against keratitis caused by filamentous fungi was rare in Germany, possibly due to restricted availability. Keratitis caused by Fusarium spp. (usually FSSC) appears to be a relevant clinical problem in Germany, with the use of contact lenses as the predominant risk factor. Its outcome is often adverse.

Component Analysis of Multipurpose Contact Lens Solutions To Enhance Activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACTMore than 125 million people wear contact lenses worldwide, and contact lens use is the single greatest risk factor for developing microbial keratitis. We tested the antibacterial activity of multipurpose contact lens solutions and their individual component preservatives against the two most common pathogens causing bacterial keratitis,Pseudomonas aeruginosaandStaphylococcus aureus. Thein vitroantibacterial activity of five multipurpose contact lens solutions (Opti-Free GP, Boston Simplus, Boston Advance, Menicare GP, and Lobob) was assayed by the standard broth dilution method. Synergy between the preservative components found in the top performing solutions was assayed using checkerboard and time-kill assays. The ISO 14729 criteria and the standard broth dilution method were used to define an optimized contact lens solution formulation against a clinical panel of drug-susceptible and drug-resistantP. aeruginosaandS. aureusstrains. Preservatives with the biguanide function group, chlorhexidine and polyaminopropylbiguanide (PAPB), had the best antistaphylococcal activity, while EDTA was the best antipseudomonal preservative. The combination of chlorhexidine and EDTA had excellent synergy againstP. aeruginosa. A solution formulation containing chlorhexidine (30 ppm), PAPB (5 ppm), and EDTA (5,000 ppm) had three to seven times more antipseudomonal activity than anything available to consumers today. A multipurpose contact lens solution containing a combination of chlorhexidine, PAPB, and EDTA could help to reduce the incidence of microbial keratitis for contact lens users worldwide.

Clinical Presentation and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Contact Lens Associated Microbial Keratitis

Introduction.In recent years, the number of contact lens wearers has dramatically increased in Iran, particularly in youngsters. The purpose of current study was to assess the clinical presentation and antibiotic susceptibility of contact lens related microbial keratitis in Ahvaz, southwest of Iran.Methodology.A cross-sectional investigation of 26 patients (33 eyes) with contact lens induced corneal ulcers who were admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahwaz City, from June 2012 to June 2013 was done. In order to study microbial culture and susceptibility of corneal ulcers, all of them were scraped.Results.Eight samples were reported as sterile.Pseudomonas aeruginosa(80%) in positive cultures was the most widely recognized causative organism isolated. This is followed byStaphylococcus aureus12% andEnterobacter8%. The results showed that 84% of the microorganism cases were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, while imipenem, meropenem, and ceftazidime were the second most effective antibiotics (76%).Conclusion.Results of current study show the importance of referring all contact lens wearers with suspected corneal infection to ophthalmologists for more cure. The corneal scraping culture and contact lens solution should be performed to guide antibiotic therapy.