Complications of Adenoviral Keratoconjunctivitis in Ophthalmologists and Orthoptists: Epidemiology and Risk Factor, A Retrospective Questionnaire Analysis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the medical history of adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis (AK) and subepithelial infiltrates (SEIs) among French ophthalmologists and orthoptists and the frequency of unreported occupational diseases. We also described short-term and long-term consequences of AK and evaluated associated factors. METHODS: The REDCap questionnaire was diffused online several times over 7 consecutive months, from October 2019 to May 2020, through mailing lists (French Society of Ophthalmology, residents, and hospital departments), social networks, and by word of mouth. RESULTS: Seven hundred ten participants were included with a response rate of 6.2% for ophthalmologists, 3.8% for orthoptists, and 28.3% for ophthalmology residents. The medical history of AK was found in 24.1% (95% confidence interval 21%-27.2%) of respondents and SEI in 43.9% (36.5%-51.3%) of the AK population. In total, 87.1% (82.1%-92.1%) of AK occupational diseases were not declared. In total, 57.7% of respondents took 9.4 ± 6.2 days of sick leave, mostly unofficial, and 95.7% stopped surgeries for 13.0 ± 6.6 days. Among the AK population, 39.8% had current sequelae, with 17.5% having persistent SEIs, 19.9% using current therapy, and 16.4% experiencing continuing discomfort. SEIs were associated with wearing contact lenses (odds ratio 3.31, 95% confidence interval 1.19-9.21) and smoking (4.07, 1.30-12.8). Corticosteroid therapy was associated with a greater number of sequelae (3.84, 1.51-9.75). CONCLUSIONS: AK and SEI affect a large proportion of ophthalmologists and orthoptists, possibly for years, with high morbidity leading to occupational discomfort. Few practitioners asked for either to be recognized as an occupational disease. Associated factors would require a dedicated study.

Epidemic Keratoconjunctivitis in India: Trend Analysis and Implications for Viral Outbreaks.

Purpose: To describe the correlation between the temporal pattern of presentation of acute epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) of presumed adenoviral etiology with meteorological parameters such as environmental temperature, rainfall, humidity, and wind speed. Methods: This cross-sectional hospital-based study included 2,408,819 patients presenting between August 2010 and February 2020. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of EKC in at least one eye were included as cases. A smaller cohort of patients with acute (≤1 week) presentation hailing from the district of Hyderabad during the calendar years 2016-2019 was used to perform correlation analysis with the local environmental temperature, rainfall, humidity, and wind speed (data obtained from the Telangana State Development and Planning Society). Results: Overall, 21,196 (0.87%) patients were diagnosed with EKC, of which 19,203 (90.6%) patients had acute onset; among which the cohort from the district of Hyderabad included 1,635 (8.51%) patients. The mean monthly prevalence in this cohort was 0.89% with a peak prevalence in April (1.09%). The environmental parameters of rainfall (r2 = 0.47/P = 0.0131), humidity (r2 = 0.65/P = 0.0014), and wind speed (r2 = 0.56/P = 0.0047) were significantly negatively correlated with the temporal pattern of EKC in the population. There was no visible trend or significant correlation seen with temperature (r2 = 0.08/P = 0.3793). Conclusion: Contrary to popular belief, epidemic viral infections like EKC may not be affected by temperature, but rather by a complex interplay of other environmental factors such as humidity, rainfall, and wind speed. An increase in rainfall, wind speed, and humidity contributes to a lower prevalence of EKC cases during the year.