UP: Agra health department issues advisory to schools after rise in eye flu cases

AGRA: The health department here has flagged a rise in cases of viral conjunctivitis and issued an advisory to schools directing them to make students and their parents aware of the disease, officials said on Tuesday. With many cases of eye flu reported among school children, the health department has also organised camps at Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Pinahat, and Jagner, they said, adding that camps may be added in other places also.

Dr Pravindra Verma, eye surgeon at the district hospital, said that over a 100 patients with complaints of viral conjunctivitis visit the outpatient department (OPD) daily at the hospital. "Due to the rainy season and humidity, cases of viral conjunctivitis are on the rise. At the OPD of the district hospital, daily 70-80 per cent patients with viral conjunctivitis are visiting. We have an OPD of about 200-250 patients daily," Verma said. "Symptoms of eye flu are itching, red eyes, swelling in eyelids and white discharge from the infected eye. It is a viral infection and lasts for a week," Verma said.

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Dr Singhdha Sen, Head of the Ophthalmology department at SN Medical College and Hospital said, "At OPD, daily 50-60 patients with complaints of eye flu are visiting." Sen said that towels, bed sheets and other clothes of the infected persons should be separated and washed regularly to prevent the disease from spreading to other family members. Taking note of cases of eye flu, the health department has urged people to visit government health centres if they have symptoms of eye flu and asked them to avoid self-medication or home remedies.

"Schools have been asked to make children aware about viral conjunctivitis and direct parents to not send infected children to schools. Schools can also begin online classes if the number of cases increases," said Dr Surendra Mohan Prajapati, nodal officer of the district communicable diseases programme in Agra. "If anyone has symptoms, they should visit a government hospital or a health centre and avoid self-mediation and home remedies," he said. Prajapati said eye flu cases in rural areas are on the rise mainly among school children. "Camps are being organised at Fatehpur Sikri, Pinahat, Jagner and in the city (Agra) where the cases are on the rise," he added.