According to the Ukrainian Observer, bottles of ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution are still on the shelves of drugstores in the Ukraine. ReNu with Moisutreloc was removed from most major markets earlier this year after the solution was linked to fusarium keratitis, a serious fungal infection that can cause blindness. In the United States, hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against Bausch & Lomb on behalf of users of ReNu with Moistureloc that developed serious eye infections.
Last month, the CDC issued the results of a study that found that ReNu with MoistureLoc lacked the necessary sterilization qualities to prevent eye infections with normal lens use. The report found that the outbreak of Fusarium keratitis was directly associated with the use of ReNu with MoistureLoc, and that the unique properties of the solution may have contributed to the outbreak of fungal infections. The CDC study also found that suboptimal hygiene practice appeared unlikely to contribute to the outbreak, and that biofilm on the contact lenses or contact lens cases may have played a role in causing the spread of Fusarium keratitis.
Fusarium keratitis is a severe fungal infection of the cornea that can result in permanent blindness. First-line treatment includes topical and oral antifungal medications; patients who do not respond to these treatments usually require surgical intervention, including corneal transplant. While Fusarium keratitis has been primarily linked to ReNu with MoistureLoc, many doctors and researchers believe that all multi-purpose contact lens solutions may be associated with dangerous infections.
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