MIAMI reached epidemic proportions in Cuba has arrived on the continental United States by way of Miami, doctors at the University of Miami School of Medicine said Friday.

Doctors at the university's Bascom Palmer Eye Institute told a news conference that two cases of the disease had been detected in Miami, at least one of them a man infected in Cuba.

They warned residents of the city to take precautions to avoid the condition, called acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis.

The disease's symptoms range from eye redness, burning and excessive tearing to facial paralysis, severe neurological disorder and loss of vision, said Eduardo Alfonso, associate professor of opthalmology.

"We recommend recuperation in isolation during the presence of symptoms, typically from two to four weeks,'' he said.

Alfonso said some cases of the disease had been found in Panama as well as Cuba, where it has been considered an epidemic for several weeks.

Doctors said the disease is most commonly spread when a contaminated hand or make-up applicator touches the eye. They said it can be avoided by frequent hand-washing and disinfection of any areas of contact, such as furniture, door knobs and telephones.

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