The State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) said it had discussed the outbreak of eye-infections in Singapore with Bausch & Lomb, the company whose product was thought responsible, and are monitoring on the use of contact lens solution in China closely.

No eye infections caused by eye-care solution have been reported in Beijing and Shanghai, according to the two cities' public health departments.

The company received no complaints about eye infections caused by Bausch & Lomb, according to the Beijing branch of Bausch & Lomb Inc.

Singapore's health ministry said 39 cases of fungal infections of the cornea had been reported among people who had used or were using contact lenses between January last year and Feb. 20 this year. Out of all the cases, 34 people said they had used ReNu -- Bausch & Lomb's line of contact lens solution.

After the incident, Shanghai Medical Side Effects Monitoring Center opened a hotline on Feb. 22 to receive inquiries. "Tens of people called to the hotline everyday," said Du Wenmin, deputy-director of the Center.

"Some complained they suffered from keratitis and other eye discomforts when using contact lens, but there are still no evidences to prove the direct links between the discomforts and the use of contact lens or solution," Du said.

Hospitals receive many patients with eye diseases every year, but the percentage of fungal infections is relatively low and the fungal infection usually means the cornea surfaces are somehow damaged, said Sun Xuguang, an oculist with Beijing Tongren Hospital, a professional hospital on ophthalmology.

In a statement, Bausch & Lomb's Beijing branch said they believe rising keratitis cases among Singaporean contact lens users are "individual cases" and has so far no impact on China.

Bausch & Lomb said the company has no plan to stop selling saline solution on the Chinese mainland, though it was suspected of causing fungal infection and taken off shelves in Singapore.

The company said about 98 percent of saline solution sold on the Chinese mainland is produced locally and therefore different from that sold in Singapore.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2006)