Abstract
Purpose
To elucidate the reservoirs of Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis associated with contact lens (CL) wear by using a molecular genotyping method.
Method
Ten P. aeruginosa isolates obtained from two young adult patients with infectious keratitis associated with CL wear were studied. These were isolated from corneal specimens, conjunctival swabs, discharges, CL storage cases, and the living environment of the two patients. Species identification was performed with an Oxi/Ferm Tube II system using well-separated colonies on MacConkey and NAC agar plates. We employed molecular genotyping by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.
Results
We isolated three (one each from a corneal scraping, discharge, and a CL storage case) P. aeruginosa samples from patient 1, and seven (one each from the conjunctival swab, CL storage case, and the patient’s fingers, and four from the patient’s room) from patient 2. Pseudomonas aeruginosa of environmental origin could not be obtained from the house of patient 1. The genotypes of two P. aeruginosa isolates, from corneal scraping and discharge, were identical to that of the isolate from the CL storage case belonging to patient 1. In patient 2, the isolates from the eye and the CL storage case showed the identical genotype, which was different from those of the environmental isolates.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that the causative P. aeruginosa strains in cases of infectious keratitis associated with CL wear originate in contaminated CL storage cases. However, it is still unclear whether the environmental strains in the patients’ houses also cause keratitis.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dart JKG. Predisposing factors in microbial keratitis: the significance of contact lens wear. Br J Ophthalmol 1988;72:926–930.
Gelentine PG, Cohen EJ, Laibson PR, et al. Corneal ulcers associated with contact lens wear. Arch Ophthalmol 1984;102:891–894.
Schein OD, Ormerod LD, Barraquer E, et al. Microbiology of contact lens-related ulcers. Cornea 1989;8:281–285.
Cheng KH, Leung SL, Hoekman HW, et al. Incidence of contactlens-associated microbial keratitis and its related morbidity. Lancet 1999;354:181–185.
Devonshire P, Munro FA, Abernethy C, et al. Microbial contamination of contact lens cases in the west Scotland. Br J Ophthalmol 1993;77:41–45.
Houang E, Lam D, Fan D, et al. Microbial keratitis in Hong Kong: relationship to climate, environment and contact-lens disinfection. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2001;95:361–367.
Stapleton F, Dart JKG, Seal DV, et al. Epidemiology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis in contact lens wearers. Epidemiol Infect 1995;114:395–402.
Del’Alamo L, d’Azevedo PA, Strob AJ, et al. An outbreak of catalase-negative methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J Hosp Infect 2007;65:226–230.
Cao B, Wang H, Sun H, et al. Risk factors and clinical outcomes of nosocomial multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. J Hosp Infect 2004;57:112–118.
Tenover FC, Arbeit RD, Goering RV, et al. Interpreting chromosomal DNA restriction patterns produced by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis: criteria for bacterial strain typing. J Clin Microbiol 1995;33:2233–2239.
Kirschke DL, Jones TF, Craig AS, et al. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens contamination associated with a manufacturing defect in bronchoscopes. N Engl J Med 2003;348:214–220.
Miranda G, Kelly C, Solorzano F, et al. Use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis typing to study an outbreak of infection due to Serratia marcescens in a neonatal intensive care unit. J Clin Microbiol 1996;34:3138–3141.
Srinivasan A, Wolfenden LL, Song X, et al. An outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection associated with flexible bronchoscopes. N Engl J Med 2003;348:221–227.
Shimono N, Takuma T, Tsuchimochi N, et al. An outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection following thoracic surgeries occurring via contamination of bronchoscopes and an automatic endoscope reprocessor. J Infect Chemother 2008;14:418–423.
DiazGranados CA, Jones MY, Kongphet-Tran T, et al. Outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection associated with contamination of flexible bronchoscope. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2009;30:550–555.
de Melo GB, Aggio FB, Hofling-Lima AL, et al. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis in the identification of the origin of bacterial keratitis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2007;245:1053–1054.
Foca M, Jakob K, Whittier S, et al. Endemic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in a neonatal intensive care unit. N Engl J Med 2000;343:695–700.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Ogushi, Y., Eguchi, H., Kuwahara, T. et al. Molecular genetic investigations of contaminated contact lens storage cases as reservoirs of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Keratitis. Jpn J Ophthalmol 54, 550–554 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-010-0874-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-010-0874-1