Incidence of Acanthamoeba Keratitis in Switzerland
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, <i>p</i> = 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.
Authors
- Sadiq Said (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2037-4766)
- Marco Alder
- Frank Blaser (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9807-9623)
- Sandrine Zweifel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7431-1774)
- Christoph Tappeiner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6907-1112)
- Florentina J. Freiberg
- Michael A. Thiel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0135-2468)
- Kattayoon Hashemi
- Philipp B. Baenninger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8118-2464)
- Zisis Gatzioufas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9099-5336)
- René Brouillet
- Gilbert Greub (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9529-3317)
- Ανθία Παπάζογλου (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9768-8301)
- Horace Massa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5025-3856)
- Konrad Muehlethaler
- Béatrice E. Frueh
- Manolito L. Finger
- Felix Grimm (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2685-1167)
- Daniel Barthelmes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5431-4991)
- Moreno Menghini
Institutions
- University of Bern (CH)
- University of Lucerne (CH)
- University of Zurich (CH)
- University of St.Gallen (CH)
- Triemli Hospital (CH)
- University Hospital of Bern (CH)
- University Hospital of Basel (CH)
- Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (CH)
- Kantonsspital Winterthur (CH)
- University Hospital of Zurich (CH)
- Fribourg Development Agency (CH)
- University Hospital of Geneva (CH)
- Fondation Asile des Aveugles (CH)
- Kantonsschule Olten (CH)
- National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (Switzerland) (CH)
- Kantonsspital Aarau (CH)
- University of Duisburg-Essen (DE)
- University of Lausanne (CH)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Microorganisms
- Published
- 2025-08-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13092032
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Legionella and Acanthamoeba research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.60