From the AOA Contact Lens & Cornea Section (CLCS)

• Doctor-to-Patient Communication Templates
• Clinical Guidance Regarding Fungal Keratitis Associated with Contact Lens Wear

AOA Officers and Trustees, and AOA Contact Lens and Cornea Section (CLCS) leaders discuss developments in fungal keratitis cases in the United States on Friday, March 31. From near left, and going clockwise: Peter H. Kehoe, O.D., Secretary-Treasurer, AOA; Kevin Alexander, O.D., Ph.D., Vice President, AOA; Wesley Pittman, O.D., Immediate Past President, AOA; Jack Schaeffer, O.D., Chair-Elect, AOA Contact Lens and Cornea Section; Arthur Epstein, O.D., Chair, AOA Contact Lens and Cornea Section; C. Thomas Crooks, III, O.D., President-Elect, AOA; Richard Wallingford, O.D., President, AOA, Randolph E. Brooks, O.D., AOA Trustee, Stephen M. Wasserman, Director of Communications, AOA.

U.S. health officials are on alert after a recent outbreak of severe corneal infections associated with contact lens wearers in Asia began surfacing in the United States. The New York State Department of Health has issued an alert in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, acknowledging that they are investigating three cases of Fusarium keratitis, a severe fungal infection of the cornea that has recently been linked to soft contact lens use. Cases have been identified by optometrists in Florida and Iowa.

Optometrists should be aware that cases of contact lens related keratitis unresponsive to conventional antibiotic treatment may be of fungal etiology. Appropriate steps should be taken to diagnose and treat such patients. The AOA Contact Lens & Cornea Section is monitoring the situation and will be providing comprehensive resources designed to support your patient care and community relations.

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