Watch out Mumbaikars: Conjunctivitis is here already

As if students didn’t have enough to worry about with examinations breathing down their neck. With the recent weather changes in the city, conjunctivitis has reared its ugly head to create another headache for children and their parents.

General physicians in the city saw a rise in the number of conjunctivitis cases over the last week. “The conjunctivitis virus thrives on extreme temperatures. In the current weather, where it’s cool in the mornings and evenings and unusually hot during the day, the virus finds the perfect conditions to proliferate,” says Dr Anil Ballani, MD consultant physician at PD Hinduja and Lilavati hospitals.

Mumbai is particularly suited to the spread of the virus. “Since the virus spreads through touch, in a crowded city like Mumbai, we’re expecting conjunctivitis cases to multiply,” adds Dr Ballani.

And, though conjunctivitis is generally harmless and self-limiting, there are cases when the viral infection can lead to more serious conditions. “The eyes and nose are connected and we often worry that a person with conjunctivitis might get a secondary bacterial infection. Apart from this, severe conjunctivitis can cause blindness in one in a thousand cases,” says Dr Krishnakant Dhebri, a family physician at Girgaum.

So what precautions can one take against the virus? “Avoid going to crowded places and travelling through public transport, as you can come in contact with the virus readily in these places. Also, take care of your personal hygiene and use a hand-sanitiser to wash your hands regularly,” says Dr Ballani.

Parents and schools also have a role to play in stopping the spread of this infection among students. “If a student has conjunctivitis s/he should be sent home and other students should not be allowed to come in close contact with him/her,” says Dr Dhebri.