The survival of adenovirus in multidose bottles of topical fluorescein

PURPOSE: To determine if common ocular adenovirus serotypes survive in vitr o in multidose bottles of topical fluorescein (Fluress; Pilkington Barnes H ind, Inc, Sunnyvale, California). METHODS: Clinical isolates of adenovirus types 8 and 19 were inoculated sep arately into 10 bottles each of Fluress and maintained at room temperature (25 C). All bottles were titered for adenovirus on A549 cell monolayers at 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 49 days. RESULTS: Adenovirus was recovered from Fluress for up to 21 days for adenov irus type 19 and 28 days for adenovirus type 8. CONCLUSION: A multidose bottle of Fluress contaminated with adenovirus can be a potential source of adenoviral transmission in an ophthalmic office se tting. (Am J Ophthalmol 1998;126: 835-836. (C) 1998 by Elsevier Science Inc . All rights reserved.).