Microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis after rugby tournament, Singapore

Emerg Infect Dis. 2013;19(9):1484-6. doi: 10.3201/eid1909,121464.

Abstract

We investigated an outbreak of 47 probable and 6 confirmed cases of microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis involving participants of an international rugby tournament in Singapore in April 2012.The mode of transmission was eye contact with soil. Vittaforma corneae was identified in 4 of 6 corneal scrapings and in 1 of 12 soil water samples.

Keywords: Microsporidia; Singapore; Vittaforma corneae; fungi; keratoconjunctivitis; parasites.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Female
  • Football*
  • Humans
  • Keratoconjunctivitis / diagnosis
  • Keratoconjunctivitis / epidemiology*
  • Keratoconjunctivitis / microbiology*
  • Male
  • Microsporidia / genetics*
  • Microsporidiosis / diagnosis
  • Microsporidiosis / epidemiology*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Singapore / epidemiology