Acanthamoeba Keratitis in South India: A Longitudinal Analysis of Epidemics OPHTHALMIC EPIDEMIOLOGY Lalitha, P., Lin, C. C., Srinivasan, M., Mascarenhas, J., Prajna, N. V., Keenan, J. D., McLeod, S. D., Acharya, N. R., Lietman, T. M., Porco, T. C. 2012; 19 (2): 111-115

Abstract

In light of the increased incidence of contact lens associated Acanthamoeba keratitis in recent years, this study analyzed longitudinal trends of its incidence among predominantly non-contact lens wearers in a high-volume referral center in South India.A retrospective analysis of microbiology laboratory records at the Aravind Eye Hospital from 1988-2009 was performed. The Maximum Excess Events Test (MEET) was used to identify epidemics of Acanthamoeba keratitis.There were a total of 38,529 unique cases of infectious keratitis evaluated over this time period, of which 372 were culture-positive for Acanthamoeba. Only three cases (0.9%) of Acanthamoeba keratitis occurred among contact lens wearers. MEET identified unique Acanthamoeba keratitis epidemics in 1993 and 2002.Discrete epidemics of Acanthamoeba keratitis occurred among a rural, non-contact lens wearing, population in South India in 1993 and 2002.

View details for DOI 10.3109/09286586.2011.645990

View details for Web of Science ID 000302067400010

View details for PubMedID 22364672

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC3830554