Microsporidial Keratoconjunctivitis Caused by Vittaforma corneae, Sea of Galilee, Israel, 2022–2024

We describe a multiannual outbreak of keratoconjunctivitis caused by the microsporidium Vittaforma corneae in the Sea of Galilee, Israel. Patients had multifocal punctate corneal infiltrates and reduced visual acuity, confirmed by locally-developed pathogen-specific real-time PCR. Topical chlorhexi...

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Main Authors: Asaf Friehmann, Irit Lubitz, Fidaa El Zhalka, Sharon Amit
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2025-08-01
Series:Emerging Infectious Diseases
Subjects:
Online Access:https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/8/24-1941_article
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author Asaf Friehmann
Irit Lubitz
Fidaa El Zhalka
Sharon Amit
author_facet Asaf Friehmann
Irit Lubitz
Fidaa El Zhalka
Sharon Amit
author_sort Asaf Friehmann
collection DOAJ
description We describe a multiannual outbreak of keratoconjunctivitis caused by the microsporidium Vittaforma corneae in the Sea of Galilee, Israel. Patients had multifocal punctate corneal infiltrates and reduced visual acuity, confirmed by locally-developed pathogen-specific real-time PCR. Topical chlorhexidine, rather than traditional antimicrobial drugs, proved an effective and safe primary treatment.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 1080-6040
1080-6059
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
record_format Article
series Emerging Infectious Diseases
spelling doaj-art-0c95f66e2daf417ebe9b08dadf3518922025-08-20T03:56:46ZengCenters for Disease Control and PreventionEmerging Infectious Diseases1080-60401080-60592025-08-013181645164710.3201/eid3108.241941Microsporidial Keratoconjunctivitis Caused by Vittaforma corneae, Sea of Galilee, Israel, 2022–2024Asaf FriehmannIrit LubitzFidaa El ZhalkaSharon Amit We describe a multiannual outbreak of keratoconjunctivitis caused by the microsporidium Vittaforma corneae in the Sea of Galilee, Israel. Patients had multifocal punctate corneal infiltrates and reduced visual acuity, confirmed by locally-developed pathogen-specific real-time PCR. Topical chlorhexidine, rather than traditional antimicrobial drugs, proved an effective and safe primary treatment. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/8/24-1941_articleVittaforma corneaemicrosporidiafungikeratoconjunctivitiswaterborne outbreakIsrael
spellingShingle Asaf Friehmann
Irit Lubitz
Fidaa El Zhalka
Sharon Amit
Microsporidial Keratoconjunctivitis Caused by Vittaforma corneae, Sea of Galilee, Israel, 2022–2024
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Vittaforma corneae
microsporidia
fungi
keratoconjunctivitis
waterborne outbreak
Israel
title Microsporidial Keratoconjunctivitis Caused by Vittaforma corneae, Sea of Galilee, Israel, 2022–2024
title_full Microsporidial Keratoconjunctivitis Caused by Vittaforma corneae, Sea of Galilee, Israel, 2022–2024
title_fullStr Microsporidial Keratoconjunctivitis Caused by Vittaforma corneae, Sea of Galilee, Israel, 2022–2024
title_full_unstemmed Microsporidial Keratoconjunctivitis Caused by Vittaforma corneae, Sea of Galilee, Israel, 2022–2024
title_short Microsporidial Keratoconjunctivitis Caused by Vittaforma corneae, Sea of Galilee, Israel, 2022–2024
title_sort microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis caused by vittaforma corneae sea of galilee israel 2022 2024
topic Vittaforma corneae
microsporidia
fungi
keratoconjunctivitis
waterborne outbreak
Israel
url https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/8/24-1941_article
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AT iritlubitz microsporidialkeratoconjunctivitiscausedbyvittaformacorneaeseaofgalileeisrael20222024
AT fidaaelzhalka microsporidialkeratoconjunctivitiscausedbyvittaformacorneaeseaofgalileeisrael20222024
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