With eye flu cases up, doctors say humans have become susceptible to viral infections

Northeastern states, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat are recording maximum number of such cases.

(Dr) Jeewan Singh Titiyal, professor of ophthalmology and Chief of RP Eye Center at AIIMS (Delhi) said, “There is an outbreak like situation of Conjunctivitis or eye flu this year. At AIIMS, we are seeing significant increases in cases and more than 100 patients per day. This is a viral infection and very common in India because this year we had extreme rains & flood, humid conditions and hygiene level has also gone down. What needs to be done is that people need to wash their hands and avoid touching their eyes. Use goggles if infected as it curbs the transmission of the virus. It’s a self-limiting disease goes away easily in some days, but one should consult an eye specialist if have itching and redness in eyes.”

“We need to educate people, especially school children, about viral infections and what precautionary measures they need to follow. These infections are very common. For example- conjunctivitis is not new and has been occurring. Health, sanitation, crowded areas and weather & climate conditions are some of the factors. There is a sudden spurt of cases and formation of clusters in multiple places. We have collected a few samples locally and are examining them,” said a senior scientist at National Institute of Virology, Pune.

Doctors are saying that almost every household is catching the infection. Hence, people need to follow appropriate hygiene while going out. They said that after Covid pandemic, the human body has become susceptible to all kinds of viral infection.

Dr Sanjiv Gupta, Director and Sr Eye Surgeon, i Care Centre, New Delhi said they are observing an average of 10-15 conjunctivitis patients daily. “During the previous 2-3 years, people were taking more precautions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which might have helped in reducing the spread of conjunctivitis. It is essential to note that conjunctivitis is typically self-resolving and rarely causes any permanent damage to the eye. However, in some cases, the cornea can be affected, but this can be treated accordingly.”

Updated: 01 Aug 2023, 12:52 AM IST