April 11,2006 | ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Shares of Bausch & Lomb Inc. tumbled 17 percent Tuesday after the eye-care products maker halted shipments of a contact lens solution linked by federal officials to a rare fungal infection that can cause blindness.
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The fungus, called Fusarium, is commonly found in plant material and soil in tropical and subtropical regions. Without eye-drop treatment, which can last two to three months, the infection can scar the cornea and blind its victims.
Symptoms can include blurry vision, pain or redness, increased sensitivity to light and excessive discharge from the eye. It is not transmitted from person to person.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating 109 reports of infection in patients in 17 states since June 2005. It has made no direct link between ReNu and the infections, but a high incidence of the affected people had used the solution.
http://www.salon.com/wire/ap/archive.html?wire=D8GU01CO0.html
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