Incidence of Acanthamoeba Keratitis in Switzerland
2025
Frank Blaser | Felix Grimm | Philipp B. Baenninger | Zisis Gatzioufas | Michael A. Thiel | Moreno Menghini | Beatrice E. Frueh | Konrad Muehlethaler | Marco Alder | Kattayoon Hashemi | René Brouillet | Horace Massa | Manolito L. Finger | Christoph Tappeiner | Anthia Papazoglou | Florentina Joyce Freiberg | Gilbert Greub | Daniel Barthelmes | Sandrine A. Zweifel | Sadiq Said
Despite rising global reports of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), the incidence of AK in Switzerland remains unknown. This investigator-initiated, retrospective, multicenter study assessed the nationwide incidence of PCR- and/or culture-positive Acanthamoeba results from January 2010 to December 2023. Data were collected from all tertiary care and large ophthalmological facilities in Switzerland, fully anonymized, and aggregated by month and year. We considered all corneal scraping results, whereby the detection method was specific to local standards. We identified 271 PCR- or culture-positive Acanthamoeba cases over 14 years. Applying the population data from the Federal Statistical Office in Switzerland, this corresponds to a mean incidence of 2.29 cases per million people annually. Infections were most common in summer (87 cases, 32.1%), followed by autumn (74 cases, 27.3%), spring (60 cases, 22.1%), and winter (50 cases, 18.5%). We found no significant change in incidence across the investigated period, p = 0.47. This nationwide study reveals a low but stable incidence of AK in Switzerland, in line with other industrialized countries but well below levels reported in tropical or densely populated regions such as India or Egypt. Seasonal variation supports the influence of environmental exposure and underscores the importance of preventive measures during warmer months.
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