Four of Egypt's governorates have been hit by a new virus infecting eyes, reports Reem Leila On 18 October, Daqahliya was the site of an outbreak of a new eye virus. Matareya Hospital in the governorate received large numbers of students suffering from Adenoviral Conjunctivitis, popularly known as pink eye. The infection rate which was limited to only Daqahliya, jumped from 219 school students to 2,639 and spread to Damietta, Port Said and Fayoum. At the time of writing, the number of cases in Daqahliya governorate stood at 2,281, in Port Said 258, in Damietta 99 and Fayoum two. The cases involve more than 1,700 school students. Although cases are still increasing, the Health Ministry's surveillance teams are confirming that infection rates decreased in Daqahliya by 20 per cent, in Damietta by 40 per cent, and no increase in infection rates in Port Said. When the first cases appeared in Port Said only 15 incidents in the city and 11 in Damietta were recorded. Health Minister Hatem El-Gabali told the press, "There is no need to shut down schools. Instead there is a dire need to increase students' hygiene awareness." The minister also said during a Cabinet meeting that the virus tends to disappear in winter. El-Gabali said the main reason for the phenomenon was the black cloud stemming from the burning of rice hay which causes high levels of pollution. However, Health Ministry spokesman Abdel-Rahman Shahin believes there is no specific reason behind the infection. "Lack of hygiene is the main cause for the virus spreading. Medically speaking, neither high rates of pollution, fumes nor the burning of rice hay can cause such an infection," Shahin said. The Health Ministry sent several working teams in addition to 40 ophthalmologists for treatment. "There is a shortage in ophthalmologists in the three governorates. The current number is insufficient to cure such large numbers of patients. The highest rates of eye infections are among school students, but it has spread to include adults, among them nurses, university students and parents," Shahin said. Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the mucous membrane that lines the eyelids and covers the white of the eyeball. Its symptoms, according to Shahin, include redness, mucous discharge, burning, itching and light sensitivity. It can occur in one eye or both. "The most common cause of conjunctivitis is a viral infection. Other causes include seasonal allergies, bacterial infection, and reactions to eye medications." Viral conjunctivitis can be transmitted from one person to another by casual contact, sharing towels or pillow cases, handkerchiefs, facial contact, or sharing of cosmetics especially eye liner and mascara. It can occur before, during, or after a cold or upper respiratory infection because the same virus which causes the cold can cause conjunctivitis. Shahin said viral conjunctivitis is highly contagious in the first 10-12 days and may last up to 2-3 weeks, while bacterial conjunctivitis, like viral conjunctivitis, is contagious. "Most people who develop bacterial conjunctivitis also have other eye conditions such as dry eyes or inflammation of the eyelids. This virus does not affect eyesight," Shahin confirmed. In mid-July, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that the organisation's surveillance teams had discovered the spread of Adenoviral Conjunctivitis among school students in the Sudanese city of Juba. Currently, health authorities are spreading health alert messages to residents of infected areas to inform them about the outbreak and how it can be prevented. "Due to geographical reasons, the virus is expected to reach Sharqiya governorate. Accordingly, the ministry is intensifying its messages to the public to limit the spread of the virus," Shahin stated. Ayman Mohamed Ragab, deputy minister of health in Daqahliya, pointed out the importance of increasing people's awareness of personal hygiene and keeping infected children isolated. "The campaign has kicked off throughout the governorate since the first outbreak of the virus," Ragab said. According to Ragab, the best preventive measures against this virus is to wash your hands more often with soap and warm water. Alcohol wipes could be used. People must avoid touching or rubbing their eyes, and wash any discharge from around the eyes several times a day. In addition, hands must be thoroughly washed after applying eye drops or ointment. Patients must not use the same eye drop dispenser/bottle for infected and non-infected eyes, even for the same person. "It is essential for patients who use contact lenses to replace contact lens solutions used while the eyes were infected. It is preferable to avoid using contact lenses until the eye is totally cured," Ragab said. Health officials are calling on the public not to panic, saying everything was under control and that infection rates were expected to decrease within the next few weeks. "Adenoviral Conjunctivitis is considered a mild eye inflammation so there is no need to worry or panic. All infected students were given appropriate medication and a 10- day sick leave," Ragab said.
