Acanthamoeba keratitis is a painful corneal disease.Acanthamoeba is a free-living organism (single-celled organisms).
Acanthamoeba lives in water, sewers, soil, pools, hot tubs, and saunas.
Acanthamoeba rarely causes harm. When amoeba infects the cornea, Acanthamoeba Keratitis results.
"Although it's rare, it's more common among contact lens wearers," Ms. Patel said.
It can cause permanent vision loss or visual impairments. A corneal transplant may be needed in severe cases."
"I started feeling like I had a foreign body in my eye like sand or grit," she told BBC News.