City sees surge in conjunctivitis cases
KOLKATA: The frequent spells of rain have not only increased the risk of dengue but also led to a spike in eye diseases, particularly conjunctivitis. In Kolkata, patients of all ages are seeking help from ophthalmologists through OPD visits, phone consultations, or clinic appointments.
Besides conjunctivitis, conditions like styes and corneal ulcers are also becoming more common. “The monsoon leads to a series of eye diseases. This year, severe eye infections have started gripping the children and adults around the city. The most common case of eye infection reported is conjunctivitis especially acute cases of acute bacterial or viral conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis and microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis are the common cases,” said Dr Aditya Pradhan, senior consultant in cornea, external diseases and cataract of a reputable eye hospital in the city.
In fact, doctors are treating 8 to 10 patients daily.
Dr Pradhan said that adults can easily cope with inflammation, blurry vision and pain but for newborns or children upto 3 years to 4 years old and the senior citizens, the situation becomes tougher. “For the regular officegoers the situation is more challenging,” he said.
Senior banker Subhasish Karanjai has been suffering from a stye for the past few days. “At first, I thought it was just a pimple, but when my eyelid swelled up and the pain increased, I decided to consult a doctor,” he said. Experts said that a new strain of adenovirus, which appeared with the monsoon, is causing a sharp increase in cases. Dr Anindya Kishore Majumder, uveitis specialist, said Kolkata is currently experiencing an adenoviral outbreak, which has led to a significant increase in conjunctivitis cases over the past one to two months.
“The nature of the conjunctivitis is characteristic of viral conjunctivitis, with more frequent formation of pseudo membranes and a slightly more complicated form of adenoviral conjunctivitis.
This outbreak is expected during the monsoon season. Approximately 20-30 per cent of patients are affected,” he said.
