title: Acanthamoeba keratitis in South India: a longitudinal analysis of epidemics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In light of the increased incidence of contact lens associated Acanthamoeba keratitis in recent years, this study analyzed longitudinal trends of its incidence among predominantly non-contact lens wearers in a high-volume referral center in South India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of microbiology laboratory records at the Aravind Eye Hospital from 1988-2009 was performed. The Maximum Excess Events Test (MEET) was used to identify epidemics of Acanthamoeba keratitis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were a total of 38,529 unique cases of infectious keratitis evaluated over this time period, of which 372 were culture-positive for Acanthamoeba. Only three cases (0.9%) of Acanthamoeba keratitis occurred among contact lens wearers. MEET identified unique Acanthamoeba keratitis epidemics in 1993 and 2002.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Discrete epidemics of Acanthamoeba keratitis occurred among a rural, non-contact lens wearing, population in South India in 1993 and 2002.
authors.affiliation: Aravind Eye Institute, Madurai, India.
authors.forename: Prajna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lalitha
authors.forename: Charles C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Muthiah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: Jeena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mascarenhas
authors.forename: N Venkatesh
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Prajna
authors.forename: Jeremy D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Keenan
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: McLeod
authors.forename: Nisha R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Acharya
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Lietman
authors.forename: Travis C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Porco
mesh_terms: D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015823:Acanthamoeba Keratitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000818:Animals; D003261:Contact Lenses / Q000469:parasitology; D015822:Eye Infections, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data