Isolation and Identification of Acanthamoeba in a Contact Lens Storage Case

Acanthamoeba is a free-living amoeba that causes human infections, and recently the incidence of amoebic keratitis has increased among contact lens wearers. In order to investigate Acanthamoeba contamination of contact lens storage cases, a short survey was performed on 57 contact lens wearers, and Acanthamoeba was found in one contact lens storage case. To diagnose Acanthamoeba, the 18s small subunit ribosomal DNA (18s rDNA) gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and subsequently, the isolate was identified as A. lugdunensis. This species was originally isolated from a freshwater pool in France, and was reported recently to be a cause of amoebic keratitis. This observation indicates the need for a large survey to investigate the extent of Acanthamoeba contamination, and suggests that contact lens wearers be aware of the importance of hygiene and of the implications of Acanthamoeba infection.