The recent withdrawal from the market of a popular contact lens solution under investigation in an outbreak of a rare eye infection has left many contact lens users confused and concerned. Eye doctors report a surge in calls from users of Bausch & Lomb's ReNu with MoistureLoc MultiPurpose Solution, which the company has asked retailers to stop selling.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration recommended that consumers immediately stop using the product and throw away any remaining supplies.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 176 cases of fusarium keratitis are suspected or confirmed in 27 states. The infection is linked to fusarium, a fungus found in plants, tap water and soil. The FDA says that in a population of 10,000 people, four to 21 cases of severe eye infection — called microbial keratitis, which includes fusarium — will occur annually. Fusarium infection is so rare that many eye doctors say they've never seen a case. Symptoms include redness, blurry vision, discharge, swelling, tearing, pain and increased sensitivity to light.

Eye itchiness is more likely due to spring from allergies and is not a cause for alarm.

A fusarium keratitis infection can be confirmed through a culture taken at a doctor's office. It is usually treated with medications; if that's not effective, surgery — including a cornea transplant — may be necessary.

Experts said the outbreak should remind contact lens users — about 30 million of them in the United States — that contacts carry risks.

"I think this is a real wake-up call for both patients and the medical community," said Arthur Epstein, chairman of the American Optometric Association's contact lens and cornea section. Lens wearers are advised to follow basic precautions such as washing their hands with soap and water before handling their contacts.

Bausch & Lomb voluntarily pulled ReNu with MoistureLoc from U.S. stores on April 13; other ReNu products are still available.

So far, no evidence has directly linked MoistureLoc solution to the fungal infections, reports the FDA.

Consumers with supplies of MoistureLoc can receive a refund or a coupon to purchase other products by completing a form at Bausch & Lomb's Web site (www.bausch.com/renu).