Investigation of an epidemic of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis

ABSTRACT

An epidemic of acute harmorrhagic conjunctivitis [AHC] started in Karachi in July, 1986 and quickly spread to other parts of the country. The epidemic died down by the end of September, 1986. The usual clinical picture of acute conjunctivitis was observed, however, haemorrhages were seen in. only 3.0% of the cases. The aetiological agent was identified as a variant of the Coxsackievirus type A 24, which seems to have appeared in this part of the world for the first time. The paper describes the laboratory investigations undertaken to study the aetiological agent and its virological characteristics