FUNGAL OUTBREAK WAS LINKED TO RENU WITH MOISTURELOC, RESEARCHERS SAY

A recent fungal infection outbreak in contact lens wearers was linked to a particular brand of Bausch & Lomb contact lens solution, researchers said in a newly published study.

A spike in cases of contact lens wearers suffering from Fusarium keratitis can be attributed to the use of ReNu with MoistureLoc, said researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health groups in the Aug. 23 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Prior to these findings, the CDC had not conclusively linked the infection to the product, which Bausch & Lomb recalled May 15.

Researchers had identified 164 cases in 33 states and one U.S. territory as of June 30. Sixty-nine percent of those patients reported using ReNu with MoistureLoc. Corneal transplantation was required or planned in 34 percent of cases, researchers said.