The global epidemiology and clinical diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis
Yuheng Zhang, Xizhan Xu, Zhenyu Wei, Kai Cao, Zijun Zhang, Qingfeng Liang, Yuheng Zhang, Xizhan Xu, Zhenyu Wei, Kai Cao, Zijun Zhang, Qingfeng Liang
Abstract
Acanthamoeba keratitis is a rare parasitic infection of the cornea that can lead to permanent blindness if not diagnosed and treated promptly. We collected data on the incidences of Acanthamoeba keratitis from 20 countries and calculated an annual incidence of 23,561 cases, with the lowest rates in Tunisia and Belgium, and the highest in India. We analyzed 3755 Acanthamoeba sequences from the GenBank database across Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Oceania and genotyped them into T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T10, T11, T12, and T15. Many genotypes possess different characteristics, yet T4 is the most prevalent genotype. As efficient treatment against Acanthamoeba remains lacking, prevention from early diagnosis via staining, PCR, or in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) becomes significant for the condition's prognosis. IVCM is the most recommended approach for the early detection of Acanthamoeba. If IVCM is unavailable, PCR should be used as an alternative.
Keywords: Acanthamoeba keratitis; Diagnosis; Epidemiology; Genotype.
Conflict of interest statement
Declaration of Interests We declare no competing interests.
Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Source: PubMed