Jammu has witnessed a sudden rise in cases of conjunctivitis, commonly known as eye flu, with nearly 3,000 infections reported in just over a week, officials said on Monday.
Doctors are advising the infected patients to isolate themselves at home and avoid public places.
“Nearly 3,000 cases of eye flu have been reported in Jammu over the past one week. At least 200 to 250 patients with eye flu symptoms visit the outpatient department (OPD) daily. Out of them, 70 to 80 percent are confirmed conjunctivitis cases,” Head, Department of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu, Prof Ashok Sharma said.
“The transmission has to be broken. Those infected should self isolate themselves. They should not visit public places,” he said.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Jammu, Harbkash Singh eye flu cases are common during the monsoon season.
He said the symptoms include redness, itching, watery eyes.
Eye flu or viral conjunctivitis, is an infection that affects the eyes. This eye problem arises by viruses and can make your eyes red, itchy, and watery. It can also lead to a sticky discharge and make your eyes feel uncomfortable. It is contagious, which means this disease can pass from person to person easily. You might have it by touching your eyes after touching surfaces or objects that have the virus on them, or by close contact with someone who has this eye problem.
This flu is usually the result of viral infection. The most common viruses responsible for conjunctivitis include adenoviruses, enteroviruses, and herpes simplex viruses. These can spread easily via direct contact, respiratory droplets or contaminated objects – though certain risk factors such as overcrowded environments, poor hygiene practices and compromised immune systems may increase its transmission risk further.
