Taiwan: Girl contracts Acanthamoeba after leaving contacts in for 6 months

A Taiwanese girl contracted a relatively rare amoeba after leaving her disposable contact lens in for six months, causing her corneas to shrink to half their normal size, according to an Emirates 24/7 report today.

Image/CDC

The brand of contact lens the girl wore were only meant to be worn for one month; however, because of her neglect and bad hygiene habits (it is reported she was washing her face with “dirty water”), “ both the corneas of her eyes were literally finished off by amoeba”.

She went to see an ophthalmologist after feeling pain in her eyes only to find she was suffering from Acanthamoeba keratitis, a painful parasitic eye infection, if not treated promptly, can cause blindness.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Acanthamoeba keratitis is a rare but serious infection of the eye that can result in permanent visual impairment or blindness. This infection is caused by a microscopic, free-living ameba (single-celled living organism) called Acanthamoeba. Acanthamoeba causes Acanthamoeba keratitis when it infects the transparent outer covering of the eye called the cornea. Acanthamoeba amebas are very common in nature and can be found in bodies of water (for example, lakes and oceans), soil, and air. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page

For more on Acanthamoeba keratitis and how to prevent it, see the article, Contact Lenses Can Be A Risk For Amoebic Infections

Acanthamoeba /CDC