Multiple patients at a laser eye clinic in New York City have been blinded in a fungal outbreak, health authorities have reported.
CDC Report Details Infections
In a February 2026 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the CDC confirmed three patients contracted fungal infections in their corneas after undergoing routine LASIK procedures at an outpatient clinic in December 2024. The clinic is not identified in the report.
All three patients experienced vision loss, with one needing a corneal transplant to potentially save their eyesight. It remains unclear if their sight was restored.
Cause of Infections
The patients were infected with Purpureocillium lilacinum, an environmental mold commonly found in fields, soils, forests, deserts, and ocean sediments. The agency said the fungus grew in cultures taken from two patients' corneas and that the outbreak was likely due to contaminated equipment such as saline bottles, refrigerators, and surgical devices.
The New York City Health Department evaluated the clinic's infection prevention and control (IPC) practices and found several deficiencies, including incomplete logs of equipment sterilization, absence of approved disinfectants, use of expired eye medications, and potential non-sterile water from humidifiers. Environmental cultures were negative for P lilacinum, but the fungus was detected in the tubing of a surgical device.
Clinic Response
Once the clinic implemented proper IPC guidelines, no further illnesses were reported. The clinic has just one ophthalmologist and one treatment room.
In December 2024, the clinic notified the NYC Health Department of three patients who developed fungal keratitis after elective laser eye surgery. Patient A reported symptoms including pain and vision loss two days after surgery, while patients B and C became symptomatic three days after their respective procedures. The clinic paused surgeries after identifying infections in patients A and B.
Almost two weeks after Patient A's surgery, the clinic's lab tests detected mold and notified the health department.
Treatment and Outcomes
All three patients were given topical antifungal medications voriconazole and natamycin, and one underwent a corneal transplant, which replaces a damaged cornea with tissue from a human donor. It is unclear if the patients regained their sight.
Laser eye surgery involves numbing the eyes and using a specialized laser to create a thin flap on the cornea and remove layers of tissue to match a person's vision prescription. The cornea is particularly vulnerable to infections because it lacks its own blood supply and relies on tears for immune defense.
The CDC said P lilacinum is most often reported in association with contact use, eye trauma, eye surgery, and being immunocompromised. Two strains of the fungus are used in agriculture in the US, which may increase its presence in the environment. The agency noted that because the fungus can cause drug-resistant infections, it should be considered as a potential cause of infection after eye surgery, even before definitive culture identification.
