Conjunctivitis outbreak: Amid rise in cases, schools shut in Itanagar
What's the story
With torrential rains lashing most parts of India, there has reportedly been a sudden rise in conjunctivitis cases, especially among children, across the country. According to Mint, authorities in Arunachal Pradesh have closed schools for students up to Class 8 in Itanagar from Tuesday to Saturday to prevent the further spread of pink eye. The state's Longding district has also issued a similar notice.
Twitter Post
Itanagar administration's notice to schools
Arunachal Pradesh | All the Government/Private Schools (Nursery to Class-VIII) under the jurisdiction of Capital Itanagar suspended with effect from 25th to 29th July as a preventive measure against the spread of conjunctivitis: Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Itanagar pic.twitter.com/1VVDqdedzH
— ANI (@ANI) July 24, 2023
Delhi
Delhi witnessing up to 4-fold rise in cases
In Delhi, monsoon has increased the chances of catching conjunctivitis up to three-four times more than the previous year. Dr. Aarti Nangia, senior consultant of ophthalmology, Fortis Hospital, told Mint, "It is either an isolated infection of the eyes or along with an upper respiratory tract infection like cough or cold. Because the virus is the same, which is infecting the eyes and throat."
Gujarat
Vadodara reporting 500 cases daily
In Gujarat's Vadodara, the infection has been spreading in all age groups. As per The Indian Express, the city has been reporting about 500 cases every day. Meanwhile, the Panchmahal district has also reported around 1,300 conjunctivitis cases in the last few days. The district administration is now trying to create awareness of the highly contagious infection among people.
Maharashtra
Pune's Alandi records over 2,000 cases
As of Saturday, the Alandi town in Maharashtra's Pune recorded over 2,000 cases of conjunctivitis among school children, reported The Times of India. With this, the total number of school kids infected went to 4,921. Meanwhile, several schools in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal have issued notices to parents, urging them not to send their children to the institutions in case of any symptoms.
Disease
Conjunctivitis can spread from person to person
The eye infection called conjunctivitis, also known as "pink eye" or "eye flu," causes inflammation of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane covering the eye. It is often brought on by viruses and can be transmitted from one person to another. The symptoms include itchy eyes, redness, swelling, and sticky discharge from the eyes, among others.