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. 2012 Apr;19(2):111-5.
doi: 10.3109/09286586.2011.645990. Epub 2012 Feb 24.

Acanthamoeba keratitis in South India: a longitudinal analysis of epidemics

Prajna Lalitha  1 , Charles C Lin, Muthiah Srinivasan, Jeena Mascarenhas, N Venkatesh Prajna, Jeremy D Keenan, Stephen D McLeod, Nisha R Acharya, Thomas M Lietman, Travis C Porco
Affiliations

Acanthamoeba keratitis in South India: a longitudinal analysis of epidemics

Prajna Lalitha et al. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2012 Apr.

Abstract

Purpose: 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.

Methods: 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.

Results: 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.

Conclusion: Discrete epidemics of Acanthamoeba keratitis occurred among a rural, non-contact lens wearing, population in South India in 1993 and 2002.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Percent of total infectious keratitis cases due to Acanthamoeba spp. The circled numbers represent the total cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis for that year with black circles indicating epidemic years (P < 0.001). Vertical lines represent 95% confidence intervals.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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