Acanthamoeba Keratitis — Multiple States, 2005–2007

In May 2006, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) informed CDC about a possible increase in Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) at an ophthalmology center in Illinois during the preceding 3 years. The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) was investigating this possible increase. In October 2006, IDPH updated CDC about the ongoing UIC investigation. At that time, CDC informally contacted multiple ophthalmology centers in the United States to assess whether the potential increase in cases extended beyond Illinois. Responses from the ophthalmology centers were inconclusive. In January 2007, CDC initiated a retrospective survey of 22 ophthalmology centers nationwide to assess whether cases were increasing throughout the United States. In March 2007, data received from 13 centers demonstrated an increase in culture-confirmed cases of AK with wide geographic distribution. The increase in cases had begun in 2004 and continued to the present. On March 16, 2007, CDC initiated a multistate investigation to look for risk factors associated with this increase in AK cases. This report summarizes recent preliminary results of that investigation, which, indicated an association with AK in soft contact lens wearers who used Advanced Medical Optics (Santa Ana, California) Complete MoisturePlus (AMOCMP) multipurpose cleaning solution. CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are taking steps to notify the public and the medical and public health communities of this preliminary association. The manufacturer has undertaken a voluntary recall of the product.