Clinicians highlight the risk of Acanthamoeba

The dangers of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) have been raised again following a lecture on 'Microbes in contact lenses' at the British Science Festival in Aberdeen last week.

The Daily Mail (September 6) claimed Britain's 3.7 million contact lens users were at risk of the 'eye-devouring amoeba'. It added that as many as 75 infections were recorded each year in the UK from people failing to follow their optician's instructions.

Dr Fiona Henriquez of the University of West of Scotland, who spoke at the event, told Optician: 'In the light of several outbreaks linked to either contaminated contact lens solutions or contaminated water in the recent past, we feel that it is important to highlight the severity of this disease.'