Prevalence and spectrum of bacterial co-infection during fungal keratitis
- 1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
- 2Sid W Richardson Ocular Microbiology Laboratory, Cullen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Correspondence to: Kirk R Wilhelmus Sid W Richardson Ocular Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, 6565 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA; kirkw{at}bcm.tmc.edu
- Accepted 4 October 2005
Abstract
Aims: To estimate the propensity of keratomycosis for parallel or secondary bacterial infection and to explore affinities among fungal and bacterial co-isolates.
Methods: A retrospective review of laboratory records over 24 years yielded 152 episodes of culture positive fungal keratitis. After collating 65 corneal specimens having bacterial co-isolates, polymicrobial co-infection was defined as detection of concordant bacteria on smear and culture or on two or more different media.
Results: 30 (20%) keratomycoses met laboratory criteria for polymicrobial infection. The risk of bacterial co-infection was 3.2 (95% confidence interval, 1.7 to 5.8) times greater with yeast keratitis than with filamentous fungal keratitis.
Conclusions: Bacterial co-infection occasionally complicates fungal keratitis, particularly candidiasis.
Footnotes
-
Sponsor details/grant support: This work was supported by research grant EY013782 and core grant EY02520 from the National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA; a senior scientific investigator award from the Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc, New York, NY, USA; and the Sid W Richardson Foundation, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
-
Competing interests: none declared
-
Ethics approval: This study was approved by the institutional review board of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX, USA.
