Mizoram logs 2,059 conjunctivitis cases in Aug

Aizawl: At least 2,059 people in Mizoram have been infected with conjunctivitis, also known as 'eye flu', in August, senior official of the National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCBVI) said on Thursday.

The NPCBVI state programme officer, Dr Biaksiami, told TOI that 20 per cent to 30 per cent of people being examined at the out-patient department in different government healthcare facilities were having complaints with their eyes.

The conjunctivitis endemic situation has been reported in all the 11 districts of the state, with Aizawl district recording the largest number of cases at 1,574, followed by 143 cases in Serchhip district, said Biaksiami.

She said there were no reports of conjunctivitis infection cases in Mizoram in July when some of the neighbouring states have reported the endemic situation.

"A few cases of conjunctivitis were treated at the civil hospital in the first week of August and were thought to be isolated cases. However, the number of people, especially children, being sufering from eye flu increased from the following weeks," she said.

She added that the NPCBVI issued appeals to the public to consult doctors if they have eye probems, which resulted in a large number of people thronging the hospitals to consult doctors.