Bio-films make eye infection hard to treat

"Soft contact lens wearers need to be aware of how to fight the formation of a constellation of resistant organisms called bio-films, a U.S. study said.

Researchers at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland said bio-films -- microbial structures held together by a glue-like matrix -- make corneal infections hard to treat.

'Once they live in that type of state, the cells become resistant to lens solutions and immune to the body's own defense system,' study senior investigator Mahmoud Ghannoum said in a statement. 'This study should alert contact lens wearers to the importance of proper care for contact lenses to protect against potentially virulent eye infections.'

The study also found contact lens solutions need to be made effective on new micro-organism strains and in particular on bio-films. Ghannoum recommends soft contact lens wearers use :

• Fresh lens care solutions only and never add fresh solution to old solution.
• Solution that has not passed the expiration date on the package.
• Soap and water to wash hands and drying them before handling lenses.
• The rub and rinse method instead of the no-rub method
• Caution to ensure bottle caps and tips of multipurpose solutions are always clean."