Associated Press, "AMO Contact lens solution linked to rare eye infection"

          Government officials are warning people to throw away a contact lens solution after an investigation linked it to a rare eye infection. The warning concerns AMO Complete Moisture Plus Multi-Purpose Solution, used for cleaning and storing soft contact lenses, said a spokeswoman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The solution seems to be a factor cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis, a painful eye infection that can lead to permanent vision loss or blindness.
          The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating 138 confirmed cases. The solution is made by Advanced Medical Optics Inc., a publicly traded company based in Santa Ana, Calif. A message left with a company spokesman was not immediately returned. CDC officials said people should discard the solution, throw out their current contact lenses and toss the lens storage case. All of them may harbor the infecting amoeba, said Michael Beach, team leader in the CDC's division of parasitic diseases.
          An estimated 85 percent of U.S. cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis occur in contact lens users, but it's extremely unusual – the estimated prevalence is one to two cases per 1 million contact lens wearers. Contact lens wearers who practice proper lens care and people who don't wear contact lenses can still develop the infection. It's hard to diagnose and treat – and some of the drugs used to fight the infection are available only overseas or from compounding pharmacies.

Learn more about the AMO contact lens solution recall and the dangers of contact lens eye infections.