Acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis: an epidemic in August/September 2003.

OBJECTIVE To clinically analyze 400 cases of red eye attending Nepal Eye Hospital in August/ September 2003 and to study the aetiology of the disease on the clinical basis with available laboratory resources. MATERIALS AND METHODS It is a prospective study of 400 cases of acute conjunctivitis visiting Nepal Eye Hospital during the epidemic of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis in August/September 2003. RESULT 30.5% presented in the age group of 20-29 years. Males presented predominantly (73.3%). Maximum number of patients presented at two days of onset of symptoms. All 400 cases had red eye, 89.8% had pain, 86.3% had foreign body sensation and 87.5% had discharge. Bilateral involvement was seen in 73.5% and unilateral involvement in 26.5%, 4.3 % of the total cases had corneal involvement and 20% of the cases had associated fever and preauricular lymphadenopathy. CONCLUSION Based on clinical presentation and the report of available laboratory results, picorna virus was found to be responsible for this epidemic of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis.