A UK woman is facing the possibility of permanent vision loss in one eye after a fall on her farm led to a severe parasitic infection.
Emma Marsden, 47, was cleaning out a horse stable in February when she slipped and fell headfirst into a wheelbarrow filled with dirt and water. She sustained a seemingly minor injury but made a critical error afterward: she washed her face without removing her contact lenses.
Four days later, her right eye began to sting, and she initially sought medical attention for what doctors suspected was an ulcer, prescribing eyedrops. However, the pain intensified over the following days, becoming excruciating and leaving her unable to open her eye when exposed to light.
When her vision in the affected eye began to deteriorate significantly, Marsden sought hospital treatment. She was diagnosed with acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare infection caused by an amoeba that burrows into the cornea, as well as fusarium keratitis, a severe fungal infection, and corneal ulcers.
Doctors explained that the parasite, commonly found in tap water, likely entered her eye when she washed her face with her contact lenses still in. According to My Cleveland Clinic, contact lens wearers account for at least 90 percent of acanthamoeba keratitis cases, often due to improper lens care, wearing lenses while swimming or showering, or using contaminated lens-related items. The parasite can survive even in treated water if disinfectant levels are insufficient.
The infection caused a hole in Marsden's cornea, necessitating a procedure where her eyelids were sewn together for several weeks to aid healing. She now requires a corneal transplant, but it cannot be performed for several years due to the ongoing infection.
Marsden described the pain as worse than childbirth and stated that her life effectively stopped for weeks, as she was confined to a dark room and unable to leave her home. She has since begun to leave her house for activities as the pain has slowly subsided, but she continues to attend weekly hospital monitoring and uses eyedrops every two hours.
She is now urging others, particularly contact lens wearers, to be vigilant about eye safety, emphasizing the risks associated with not removing lenses before activities involving water, such as washing one's face, showering, or swimming.