An Overview of Ocular Microbiology: Ocular Microbiota, the Effect of Contact Lenses and Ocular Disease

Abstract

The human eye is an organ that is exposed to the environment continuously, which makes the ocular surface subjected to different types of pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms. Different types of microorganisms can be found naturally in each layer of the eye, such as the Grampositive bacteria (i.e., the Coagulase-negative staphylococci including S. epidermidis and Bacillus sp), the Gram-negative bacteria (as Pseudomonas sp. including P. aeruginosa) and fungi. Apparently, bacteria are considered to be the major causative agent of ocular infections that are believed to be a global problem. Unfortunately, Ocular infections, if left untreated, may lead to damage in the structure of the eye with possible complications such as blindness and visual impairments. Scientists highlighted the importance of studying the ocular microbiome, which indeed has been accelerated recently. In this review, we aim to overview ocular microbiota and the factors that may affect it, the diagnosis of ocular infections, and the available treatment so far.