The fungus fusarium infects by penetrating damaged areas of the cornea, the clear covering over the eye. Improperly cleaned soft lenses can cause tiny lesions where the fungus can enter.

Twenty-six of 28 patients interviewed by health officials so far used the Bausch & Lomb solution ReNu or its generic, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported, but no link has been made. Five used other solutions, too.

Bausch & Lomb said Monday it would temporarily suspend shipments of ReNu made at its Greenville, SC, plant.

Fungus Penetrates Tiny Lesions

A review by the CDC, state officials and the US Food & Drug Administration "is under way to determine the association, if any, of these cases with any product," the CDC said in a special report issued Monday.

"Contact lens users with questions about which solutions are best for them should consult their eye-care professionals and carefully weigh risks and benefits," the CDC report said.

The fungus fusarium infects by penetrating damaged areas of the cornea, the clear covering over the eye. Improperly cleaned soft lenses can cause tiny lesions where the fungus can enter, doctors say.

While not contagious, the fungus causes redness, discharge, pain and light sensitivity, and can lead to clouded eyes, the need for cornea transplants and blindness in rare cases. If caught early, it can be treated with drugs.

ReNu 'Keeps Coming Up'

After the eye fungus was first reported in east Asia in February, the CDC said it learned of 109 cases since last June among 35 million US contact lens wearers.

About 34 fungus patients have been seen at the University of Miami's Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, said Dr. Eduardo C. Alfonso, chairman of ophthalmology.

The CDC said it has done extensive interviews with only 28 lens-wearing fungus patients."They are concerned that ReNu seems to be the solution that keeps coming up with these patients," Alfonso said.

Doctors urge soft-lens wearers to take precautions: Clean lenses and lens cases daily, wash hands before touching lenses or eyes, do not sleep in lenses, remove lenses if symptoms appear, and see a doctor if symptoms persist.