Acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis: an epidemic in August/September 2003.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To clinically analyze 400 cases of red eye attending Nepal Eye Hospital in August/ September 2003 and to study the aetiology of the disease on the clinical basis with available laboratory resources. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It is a prospective study of 400 cases of acute conjunctivitis visiting Nepal Eye Hospital during the epidemic of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis in August/September 2003. RESULT: 30.5% presented in the age group of 20-29 years. Males presented predominantly (73.3%). Maximum number of patients presented at two days of onset of symptoms. All 400 cases had red eye, 89.8% had pain, 86.3% had foreign body sensation and 87.5% had discharge. Bilateral involvement was seen in 73.5% and unilateral involvement in 26.5%, 4.3 % of the total cases had corneal involvement and 20% of the cases had associated fever and preauricular lymphadenopathy. CONCLUSION: Based on clinical presentation and the report of available laboratory results, picorna virus was found to be responsible for this epidemic of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis.