Its in the Water? Researchers Blame the EPA for Contact Lens Infections

John Hopkins

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So, AMO and Bausch want to blame the EPA and the water for their problems with ReNu® and Complete® contact lens solutions. Conveniently, researchers in Illinois stood ready with a study that gave the opportunity to blame the Environmental Protection Agency for the whole problem. The researchers, Drs. Tu and Joslin reported infections from acanthamoeba that were drastically higher than normal.

Given the fact that acanthamoeba is an extremely rare eye infection, the researchers must have found the need or desire to affix blame. They apparently speculate that the cause of the increased infections is in the water. They opine that the EPA's lowering of chlorine in water systems is to blame.

The Chicago Tribune has reported what is the more likely cause in both the ReNu® outbreak of fungal infection and this most recent Complete® outbreak of acanthamoeba:

The statistics show that something in AMO Complete MoisturePlus helped create those special circumstances for infection; people who got the infection were seven times more likely than healthy soft contact users to have used the AMO product. But Roy said that for now, the reason for that gap remains a mystery.