Watch out for pink eye: Doctors

CHANDIGARH: While the city fights swine-flu virus (H1N1), doctors see a new enemy coming. This is pink eye or viral conjunctivitis, and it feeds on the current high humidity.

Viral conjunctivitis is highly contagious. Dampness helps its causing agents, the adenoviruses, to proliferate. “If you have swollen or itchy eyes, avoid touching these. Avoid handshake and see a doctor within 10 days of healing to avoid scarring of the cornea,” professor Amit Gupta of the PGI’s Advanced Eye Centre said. The virus is alive all year but active during monsoon. Dr Gupta receives 15-odd cases each week.

Self-medication can mess up the case. “The cases of swine flu cases are still coming up late in the season, which is exceptional, but we need to be prepared for viral conjunctivitis, too. Bacteria and viruses cause conjunctivitis, and these humid conditions are a suitable environment for viruses,” Dr Ram Singh, medicine specialist of the Sector-32 Government Medical College and Hospital said.

Doctors recommend regular hand wash and maintaining personal hygiene. “Some patients acquire adenovirus during their hospital visit. We do clean the doorknobs and chair handles with chemical solutions but the tolerant virus survives all conditions,” said a senior doctor at the PGIMER (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research).

On Sunday, five more cases of H1N1 were confirmed, taking the count to 34, of which five patients have died. A Bapu Dham girl (6) at the PGI, Daddumajra woman (26) at the Sector-16 Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, A Sector-45 man (63) at Fortis, Mohali, a PGI laboratory technician (24) from Khuda Lahora, and a Sector-24 woman (23) at the PGI were the ones to die. The man of 63 is on artificial respiration.