The Department of Health is on the lookout for a potentially blinding eye infection in the wake of a rash of such infections in the United States in which some of the victims have been reported to have used a well-known brand of
contact lens solution, a health official has said.
The DOH is taking this course in the absence of any advisory either from the Bureau of Food and Drugs or the company Bausch & Lomb regarding the use of the ReNu solution, Dr. Eric Tayag, a DOH epidemiologist told the Inquirer Monday.
Although no link had been established between the infection and the solution, the company has warned the American public against using the product and asked retailers to pull out supplies from their shelves.
“We have no advisory yet,” said Tayag. “In the meantime, we’re looking for cases involving fusarium keratitis,” a fungal infection in the cornea that can lead to blindness, he said.
Tayag asked the public to observe proper hygiene in handling
contact lenses.
One effective practice is to wash one’s hands with soap and water before applying or removing contact lenses, he said.
He said the Philippines was not exactly free from the rare fungal eye infection, citing cases in the past.
But whether the disease is connected with ReNu is another story. And that’s what experts in the US are still trying to find out, according to Tayag.
“They still don’t know if the problem is really with the contact lens solution,” he said.
CNN reported on its website that public health officials in 17 states in the US were looking into 109 cases of fusarium keratitis, at least eight of whom required corneal transplants.
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04-18-2006, 10:10 AM
DOH on Lookout for Infection Linked to Contact Lens Solution
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