Survey of mycotic and bacterial keratitis in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Over a two-year period (1976–1977 and 1980–1981), 66 cases of bacterial and mycotic cases of keratitis were diagnosed in the Eye Clinic of the General Hospital in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The clinical and microbiologic aspects of these cases are described. Noteworthy was the first known human case caused byPaecilomyces farinosus, a geophilic species, commonly encountered as an insect parasite throughout the world. The bacterial and the other fungal etiologic agents isolated and identified were:Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, Fusarium oxysporum, andLasiodiplodia theobromae. In vitro the fungi showed sensitivity in decreasing order to fluctytosine, nystatin, amphotericin B and econazole. Due to the out-patient status of the patients, their in-vivo response to treatment was not assessable.